Resistor Color Code Calculator and Chart (4-band, 5-band or 6-band)

A handy tool for reading resistor color code values

• 4-strip
• 5-strip
• 6-strip

4 strip Resistor

1st Digit

2nd Digit

Multiplier

Tolerance

1st Digit 1 Brown 2 RED 3 Orange 4 Yellow 5 Green 6 Blue 7 Violet 8 Gray 9 White

2nd Digit 0 Black 1 Brown 2 RED 3 Orange 4 Yellow 5 Green 6 Blue 7 Violet 8 Gray 9 White

Multiplier x1 Black x10 Brown x100 Red x1k Orange x10k Yellow x100k Green x1M Blue x10M Violet x100M Gray x1G White ÷10 Gold ÷100 Silver

Tolerance ± 1% Brown ± 2% Red ± 3% Orange ± 4% Yellow ± 0.5% Green ± 0.25% Blue ± 0.10% Violet ± 0.05% Gray ± 5% Gold ± 10% Silver

Resistance:

ohms

Tolerance: 

 

Minimum:

ohms

Maximum:

ohms

5 strip Resistor

1st Digit

2nd Digit

3rd Digit

Multiplier

Tolerance

1st Digit 1 Brown 2 RED 3 Orange 4 Yellow 5 Green 6 Blue 7 Violet 8 Gray 9 White

2nd Digit 0 Black 1 Brown 2 RED 3 Orange 4 Yellow 5 Green 6 Blue 7 Violet 8 Gray 9 White

3rd Digit 0 Black 1 Brown 2 RED 3 Orange 4 Yellow 5 Green 6 Blue 7 Violet 8 Gray 9 White

Multiplier x1 Black x10 Brown x100 Red x1k Orange x10k Yellow x100k Green x1M Blue x10M Violet x100M Gray x1G White ÷10 Gold ÷100 Silver

Tolerance ± 1% Brown ± 2% Red ± 3% Orange ± 4% Yellow ± 0.5% Green ± 0.25% Blue ± 0.10% Violet ± 0.05% Gray ± 5% Gold ± 10% Silver

Resistance:

ohms

Tolerance:

 

Minimum:

ohms

Maximum:

ohms

6 strip Resistor

1st Digit

2nd Digit

3rd Digit

Multiplier

Tolerance

Tempco

1st Digit 1 Brown 2 RED 3 Orange 4 Yellow 5 Green 6 Blue 7 Violet 8 Gray 9 White

2nd Digit 0 Black 1 Brown 2 RED 3 Orange 4 Yellow 5 Green 6 Blue 7 Violet 8 Gray 9 White

3rd Digit 0 Black 1 Brown 2 RED 3 Orange 4 Yellow 5 Green 6 Blue 7 Violet 8 Gray 9 White

Multiplier x1 Black x10 Brown x100 Red x1k Orange x10k Yellow x100k Green x1M Blue x10M Violet x100M Gray x1G White ÷10 Gold ÷100 Silver

Tolerance ± 1% Brown ± 2% Red ± 3% Orange ± 4% Yellow ± 0.5% Green ± 0.25% Blue ± 0.10% Violet ± 0.05% Gray ± 5% Gold ± 10% Silver

Tempco 100 Brown 50 Red 15 Orange 25 Yellow 10 Blue 5 Violet

Resistance:

ohms

Tolerance:

 

Minimum:

ohms

Maximum:

ohms

Tempco:

ppm/°C

How to Use the Resistor Color Code Calculator

Are you having trouble reading resistor color codes? If your answer is yes, then this tool is specifically designed for you! Our Resistor Color Code Calculator is a handy tool for reading carbon-composition resistors whether it's a 4-band, 5-band or 6-band type. 

To use this tool, simply click on a particular color and number and watch how the actual bands on the resistor illustration change. The resistance value is displayed on the field below together with the tolerance and the temperature coefficient.  

Resistor Band Colors

As shown above, a carbon-composition resistor can have 4 to 6 bands. A 5-band resistor is more precise compared to a 4-band type because of the inclusion of a third significant digit. A 6-band resistor is like a 5-band resistor but includes a temperature coefficient band (the 6th band). 

Each color represents a number if it's located from the 1st to 2nd band for a 4-band type or 1st to 3rd band for a 5-band and 6-band type. 

Mnemonics were created to easily memorize the sequence of the colors. The most popular mnemonic is "Big Boys Race Our Young Girls But Violet Generally Wins" where the first letter of each word corresponds to the first letter of the color. 

If the color is found on the 3rd band for a 4-band type or the 4th band for a 5-band and 6-band type, then it's a multiplier.

Notice that the number of zeroes is equal to the color's number as per the previous table.

The fourth band (or 5th for the 5-band and 6-band) indicates the tolerance values. Here, two colors are added (gold and silver).

The 6th band for a 6-band type resistor is the temperature coefficient. This indicates how much the actual resistance value of the resistor changes when the temperature changes.

Five band resistors with a fourth band of silver or gold form an exception, and are utilized on specific or older resistors. The first two bands represent the significant digits, the third band is a multiplication factor, the fourth band is for tolerance and the fifth band is for the temperature coefficient (ppm/K).

Deviating Colors

In order to prevent metal and other particles from getting in the coating of high voltage resistors, the gold and silver bands are often replaced with a yellow and gray band.

Single Black Band or Zero-Ohm Resistor

A single black band on a resistor is called a zero-ohm resistor.  Basically, it is a wire link used to connect traces on a printed circuit board (PCB) that is packaged in the same physical package format as a resistor. This packaging allows the zero-ohm resistor to be placed on the circuit board using the same equipment typically used to place other resistors.

Reliability Band

When resistors are produced in accordance to military specifications, they will often include a band that indicates reliability. This band is specifically for failure rate percentage per 1000 hours of service. This band is almost never used in commercial electronics. Four band resistors typically use this reliability band. For more information about this can be found in the US military handbook MIL-HDBK-199.

Further Reading

Textbook - Resistor: Ohm's Law

Textbook - Resistor Color Codes

Worksheet - Resistors