Resistor Color Code Calculator
Read 4-, 5- and 6-band resistor color codes or SMD codes like 472 as ohms with tolerance, or type 4.7k to get its bands. Brown black red gold is 1 kΩ ±5%. How it works
Use the Resistor Color Code Calculator
About the Resistor Color Code Calculator
Brown, black, red, gold is 1 kΩ ±5%: brown = 1, black = 0, red = ×100 and gold = ±5%, so the part measures between 950 Ω and 1.05 kΩ. This resistor color code calculator reads 4-, 5- and 6-band resistors, shows the tolerance range, and turns a typed value such as 4.7k into its color bands.
Resistor color code chart
| Color | Digit | Multiplier | Tolerance | Temperature coefficient (6th band) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 0 | ×1 | - | 250 ppm/K |
| Brown | 1 | ×10 | ±1% | 100 ppm/K |
| Red | 2 | ×100 | ±2% | 50 ppm/K |
| Orange | 3 | ×1,000 | - | 15 ppm/K |
| Yellow | 4 | ×10,000 | - | 25 ppm/K |
| Green | 5 | ×100,000 | ±0.5% | 20 ppm/K |
| Blue | 6 | ×1,000,000 | ±0.25% | 10 ppm/K |
| Violet | 7 | ×10,000,000 | ±0.1% | 5 ppm/K |
| Grey | 8 | ×100,000,000 | ±0.05% | 1 ppm/K |
| White | 9 | ×1,000,000,000 | - | - |
| Gold | - | ×0.1 | ±5% | - |
| Silver | - | ×0.01 | ±10% | - |
| None (no band) | - | - | ±20% | - |
These are the values of the common chart. The 2016 IEC 60062 revision gives grey, orange and yellow tolerance bands other values (see the methodology below the tool); this tool uses grey ±0.05% and offers no orange or yellow tolerance. No band (±20%) exists on 4-band parts only, and the first band is never black.
Reading examples
| Bands | Colors | Resistance | Tolerance | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Brown, black, red, gold | 1 kΩ | ±5% | 950 Ω to 1.05 kΩ |
| 4 | Red, red, brown, gold | 220 Ω | ±5% | 209 Ω to 231 Ω |
| 4 | Orange, orange, black, gold | 33 Ω | ±5% | 31.35 Ω to 34.65 Ω |
| 4 | Yellow, violet, red, gold | 4.7 kΩ | ±5% | 4.465 kΩ to 4.935 kΩ |
| 4 | Brown, black, orange, gold | 10 kΩ | ±5% | 9.5 kΩ to 10.5 kΩ |
| 4 | Brown, black, yellow, gold | 100 kΩ | ±5% | 95 kΩ to 105 kΩ |
| 4 | Red, violet, green, gold | 2.7 MΩ | ±5% | 2.565 MΩ to 2.835 MΩ |
| 4 | Brown, black, blue, silver | 10 MΩ | ±10% | 9 MΩ to 11 MΩ |
| 4 | Red, red, gold, gold | 2.2 Ω | ±5% | 2.09 Ω to 2.31 Ω |
| 4 | Yellow, violet, silver, silver | 0.47 Ω | ±10% | 0.423 Ω to 0.517 Ω |
| 4 | Brown, black, red, no band | 1 kΩ | ±20% | 800 Ω to 1.2 kΩ |
| 5 | Brown, black, black, black, brown | 100 Ω | ±1% | 99 Ω to 101 Ω |
| 5 | Red, red, black, black, red | 220 Ω | ±2% | 215.6 Ω to 224.4 Ω |
| 5 | Yellow, violet, black, brown, brown | 4.7 kΩ | ±1% | 4.653 kΩ to 4.747 kΩ |
| 5 | Brown, black, black, red, brown | 10 kΩ | ±1% | 9.9 kΩ to 10.1 kΩ |
| 6 | Brown, black, black, red, brown, brown | 10 kΩ, 100 ppm/K | ±1% | 9.9 kΩ to 10.1 kΩ |
| 6 | Yellow, violet, black, brown, blue, red | 4.7 kΩ, 50 ppm/K | ±0.25% | 4.68825 kΩ to 4.71175 kΩ |
Value to color bands
| Typed value | Resistance | 4-band digits and multiplier | 5-band digits and multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2R2 | 2.2 Ω | Red, Red, Gold | Red, Red, Black, Silver |
| 0.47 | 0.47 Ω | Yellow, Violet, Silver | Not possible: below 1 Ω |
| 4,7k | 4.7 kΩ | Yellow, Violet, Red | Yellow, Violet, Black, Brown |
| 220 | 220 Ω | Red, Red, Brown | Red, Red, Black, Black |
| 470 | 470 Ω | Yellow, Violet, Brown | Yellow, Violet, Black, Black |
| 4.7k | 4.7 kΩ | Yellow, Violet, Red | Yellow, Violet, Black, Brown |
| 4k7 | 4.7 kΩ | Yellow, Violet, Red | Yellow, Violet, Black, Brown |
| 4.75k | 4.75 kΩ | Not possible: needs 3 digits | Yellow, Violet, Green, Brown |
| 10k | 10 kΩ | Brown, Black, Orange | Brown, Black, Black, Red |
| 100k | 100 kΩ | Brown, Black, Yellow | Brown, Black, Black, Orange |
| 1M | 1 MΩ | Brown, Black, Green | Brown, Black, Black, Yellow |
| 1.5M | 1.5 MΩ | Brown, Green, Green | Brown, Green, Black, Yellow |
Add the tolerance band after these, and on a 6-band part the temperature coefficient band.
SMD resistor codes
| Code | Kind | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 473 | 3-digit | 47 kΩ |
| 472 | 3-digit | 4.7 kΩ |
| 4992 | 4-digit | 49.9 kΩ |
| 1002 | 4-digit | 10 kΩ |
| 4R7 | R notation | 4.7 Ω |
| 0R22 | R notation | 0.22 Ω |
| 01C | EIA-96 | 10 kΩ ±1% |
| 10C | EIA-96 | 12.4 kΩ ±1% |
| 96C | EIA-96 | 97.6 kΩ ±1% |
As the calculator’s SMD box reads them. The last digit of a 3- or 4-digit code is the power of ten, R marks the decimal point, and an EIA-96 code is two digits picking a value of the 1% E96 series plus a multiplier letter. Only EIA-96 states a tolerance.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the color code for a 10k resistor?
- On a 4-band resistor, brown, black, orange, then the tolerance band (gold for ±5%). On a 5-band resistor, brown, black, black, red, then the tolerance band (brown for ±1%).
- How do you read a 5-band resistor?
- The first three bands are digits, the fourth is the multiplier and the fifth the tolerance. Yellow, violet, black, brown, brown is 470 × 10 = 4.7 kΩ ±1%, anywhere from 4.653 kΩ to 4.747 kΩ.
- What does the sixth band on a resistor mean?
- It is the temperature coefficient, how much the resistance drifts per kelvin, in parts per million: brown 100 ppm/K, red 50, orange 15, yellow 25, blue 10, violet 5. Yellow, violet, black, brown, blue, red is 4.7 kΩ ±0.25% at 50 ppm/K.
- Which end of a resistor do I read from?
- Start from the end away from the gold or silver band. Gold and silver are never a first digit, since they have no digit value, so a resistor that starts with gold or silver is being read backward.
- What does a resistor with only three bands mean?
- A missing tolerance band means ±20%, on 4-band style parts only. Brown, black, red with no fourth band is 1 kΩ ±20%, anywhere from 800 Ω to 1.2 kΩ.
- How do I read an SMD resistor code like 472 or 01C?
- Type it in the SMD box. Three digits are two significant digits and a power of ten, so 472 is 47 × 100 = 4.7 kΩ; four digits are three digits and a power of ten, so 4992 is 49.9 kΩ. R marks the decimal point: 4R7 is 4.7 Ω, and the value field reads 4k7 the same way, as 4.7 kΩ. An EIA-96 code is two digits that pick a value of the 1% E96 series and a multiplier letter: 01C is 10 kΩ ±1%.
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