Micro Tools
Advertisement

Resistor Color Code

Decode resistor color bands for 4, 5 and 6 band resistors into resistance, tolerance and temperature coefficient.

Resistor decoder

Select the band count, then pick each band color.

Resistance
-

Pick the band colors to decode the resistor.

Advertisement

Reading 4, 5 and 6 band resistors

On a 4 band resistor the first two bands are digits, the third is the multiplier and the fourth is tolerance. Five band resistors add a third digit for precision, and six band resistors add a temperature coefficient band that tells you how much the resistance drifts with heat.

Why brown black red means 1k

Brown is 1, black is 0, so the digits read 10. Red as a multiplier means times 100, giving 1,000 ohms, or 1 kilo ohm. This is one of the most common resistor values in electronics, so it is worth memorizing.

Related tools

Mortgage calculatorMonthly cost with taxes, insurance, PMI and payoff schedule. Loan calculatorMonthly payment and interest for auto and personal loans. Compound interestSee how savings grow with compound interest.

Resistor Color Code FAQs

What does brown black red mean on a resistor?
1,000 ohms (1k). Brown is 1, black is 0, giving the digits 10, and red is a x100 multiplier. Select those colors above to see the decode.
How do I read a 5 band resistor?
The first three bands are digits, the fourth is the multiplier and the fifth is tolerance. For example brown black black red brown is 10,000 ohms at 1 percent.
What is the 6th band on a resistor?
The temperature coefficient in parts per million per Kelvin. Brown means 100 ppm/K, so a 1k resistor drifts up to 0.1 ohm per degree of temperature change.
Which end do I read a resistor from?
Read from the end nearest the bands. The tolerance band (gold or silver) sits slightly apart at the opposite end, which marks the reading direction.
What do gold and silver bands mean?
As multipliers, gold means divide by 10 and silver means divide by 100. As tolerance bands, gold is 5 percent and silver is 10 percent.
Advertisement