Resistor Color Code Chart and How to Read It
By the Calculator.hair team · Updated · 6 min read
Short answer
On a 4-band resistor, the first two bands are digits, the third is a multiplier and the fourth is the tolerance. Black to white stand for 0 to 9. Yellow, violet, red, gold reads 4, 7, × 100, ±5%, which is 4,700 Ω or 4.7 kΩ. A 5-band resistor adds a third digit before the multiplier.
Key takeaways
- The digit colors run in order: black 0, brown 1, red 2, orange 3, yellow 4, green 5, blue 6, violet 7, grey 8, white 9.
- A 4-band code has two digits, and a 5-band code has three, followed by a multiplier and a tolerance.
- Tolerance gives the allowed range: 4.7 kΩ ±5% can measure anywhere from 4.465 kΩ to 4.935 kΩ.
- Series resistors add directly, and parallel resistors follow 1/R = 1/R₁ + 1/R₂ + and so on.
What is the resistor color code chart?
The resistor color code assigns each color a digit, a multiplier and sometimes a tolerance, as set out in the international standard IEC 60062. The chart below follows a Vishay color card marked as according to IEC 60062. Resistance is measured in ohms (Ω), where 1 kΩ is 1,000 Ω and 1 MΩ is 1,000,000 Ω. To decode a resistor without doing the math, pick its colors in our resistor calculator.
Some charts call violet purple and spell grey as gray. Older or product-specific charts can also differ on the rare precision bands. One Vishay chart lists grey as ±0.05% and leaves orange and yellow tolerance blank, so check the data sheet when a precision value matters.
| Color | Digit | Multiplier | Tolerance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 0 | × 1 | None |
| Brown | 1 | × 10 | ±1% |
| Red | 2 | × 100 | ±2% |
| Orange | 3 | × 1 k | ±0.05% |
| Yellow | 4 | × 10 k | ±0.02% |
| Green | 5 | × 100 k | ±0.5% |
| Blue | 6 | × 1 M | ±0.25% |
| Violet | 7 | × 10 M | ±0.1% |
| Grey | 8 | × 100 M | ±0.01% |
| White | 9 | × 1 G | None |
| Gold | None | × 0.1 | ±5% |
| Silver | None | × 0.01 | ±10% |
| No band | None | None | ±20% |
How do you read a 4-band resistor?
Read the first two bands as digits, multiply that two-digit number by the third band, and take the tolerance from the fourth. Start from the end where the bands sit closest to the edge. The tolerance band is usually set slightly apart from the others. Gold and silver have no digit value, so they can't be the first band, and a resistor with one of them at an end should be read starting from the other end.
Worked example: yellow, violet, red, gold. Yellow is 4 and violet is 7, giving 47. Red multiplies by 100, so the value is 47 × 100 = 4,700 Ω, or 4.7 kΩ. Gold is ±5%.
| Band 1 | Band 2 | Multiplier | Tolerance | Value | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow (4) | Violet (7) | Red (× 100) | Gold (±5%) | 4.7 kΩ | 4.465 kΩ to 4.935 kΩ |
| Brown (1) | Black (0) | Orange (× 1 k) | Gold (±5%) | 10 kΩ | 9.5 kΩ to 10.5 kΩ |
| Red (2) | Red (2) | Brown (× 10) | Gold (±5%) | 220 Ω | 209 Ω to 231 Ω |
| Orange (3) | Orange (3) | Yellow (× 10 k) | Silver (±10%) | 330 kΩ | 297 kΩ to 363 kΩ |
| Green (5) | Blue (6) | Silver (× 0.01) | Silver (±10%) | 0.56 Ω | 0.504 Ω to 0.616 Ω |
How do you read a 5-band resistor?
Read the first three bands as digits, multiply by the fourth band, and take the tolerance from the fifth. Five-band codes are typical of precision resistors, since the third digit allows values such as 475 Ω that two digits cannot express.
Worked example: yellow, violet, black, red, brown. The digits are 4, 7 and 0, giving 470. Red multiplies by 100, so the value is 47,000 Ω, or 47 kΩ. Brown is ±1%, so the range is 46.53 kΩ to 47.47 kΩ.
Reading direction is harder on a 5-band resistor, because brown can be both a digit and a common tolerance. Look for the wider gap before the tolerance band. If the gap isn't clear, read it both ways and see which gives a standard value, or measure it with a multimeter.
| Band 1 | Band 2 | Band 3 | Multiplier | Tolerance | Value | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow (4) | Violet (7) | Black (0) | Red (× 100) | Brown (±1%) | 47 kΩ | 46.53 kΩ to 47.47 kΩ |
| Brown (1) | Black (0) | Black (0) | Brown (× 10) | Brown (±1%) | 1 kΩ | 990 Ω to 1.01 kΩ |
| Red (2) | Violet (7) | Black (0) | Black (× 1) | Green (±0.5%) | 270 Ω | 268.65 Ω to 271.35 Ω |
What do 3-band and 6-band resistors mean?
A 3-band resistor has two digits and a multiplier with no tolerance band, which means ±20%. Yellow, violet, red with no fourth band is 4.7 kΩ, anywhere from 3.76 kΩ to 5.64 kΩ.
A 6-band resistor is a 5-band code plus a temperature coefficient, which says how much the resistance shifts as the part heats up, in parts per million per kelvin (ppm/K). For example, brown means 100 ppm/K and red means 50 ppm/K. Our calculator decodes 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-band parts.
What does resistor tolerance mean?
Tolerance is how far a resistor's actual value may be from its marked value, as a percentage. A 220 Ω ±5% resistor can be off by 220 × 0.05 = 11 Ω, so any value from 209 Ω to 231 Ω is within specification.
This matters when you work out currents. Ohm's law says I = V ÷ R, where I is current, V is voltage and R is resistance. With 5 V across a nominal 220 Ω, the Ohm's law calculator gives 22.73 mA and 113.6 mW. At the ends of the tolerance range, the current runs from 21.65 mA at 231 Ω to 23.92 mA at 209 Ω. That is fine for a typical LED current limiter, but a voltage divider in a measuring circuit would call for a tighter tolerance.
What is the formula for resistors in series?
Resistors in series add directly: R = R₁ + R₂ + R₃ and so on. Series means connected end to end, so the same current passes through each one. Resistors of 100 Ω, 220 Ω and 330 Ω in series total 650 Ω. The total is always greater than the largest single resistor.
What is the parallel resistor equation?
Resistors in parallel follow 1/R = 1/R₁ + 1/R₂ + 1/R₃ and so on. Parallel means each resistor connects across the same two points, so all share the same voltage and the current divides between them. The total is always smaller than the smallest single resistor, because each one adds another path for current.
Worked example: 100 Ω, 220 Ω and 330 Ω in parallel. The sum is 1/100 + 1/220 + 1/330 = 0.0175758, and 1 ÷ 0.0175758 = 56.8966 Ω. The parallel tool on the resistor calculator page accepts a whole list at once.
For two resistors, there is a shortcut: R = (R₁ × R₂) ÷ (R₁ + R₂), or product over sum. So 220 Ω and 330 Ω give 72,600 ÷ 550 = 132 Ω. Two equal resistors in parallel give half of either value, so 100 Ω and 100 Ω make 50 Ω.
| Resistors | Series total | Parallel total |
|---|---|---|
| 100 Ω, 100 Ω | 200 Ω | 50 Ω |
| 220 Ω, 330 Ω | 550 Ω | 132 Ω |
| 100 Ω, 220 Ω, 330 Ω | 650 Ω | 56.8966 Ω |
Calculators in this guide
Frequently asked questions
How do you read resistor colors?
Start at the end with the bands closest to the edge, keeping any gold or silver band on the right. Read the digit bands, multiply by the next band, and take the last band as the tolerance.
What colors are a 10k resistor?
On a 4-band resistor, brown, black, orange, then the tolerance, such as gold for ±5%. On a 5-band resistor, brown, black, black, red, then the tolerance.
What colors are a 1k resistor?
On a 4-band resistor, brown, black, red, then the tolerance. On a 5-band resistor, brown, black, black, brown, then the tolerance.
What does a gold band on a resistor mean?
In the tolerance position, gold means ±5%. In the multiplier position, it means × 0.1, so green, blue, gold, gold is 5.6 Ω ±5%.
How do you calculate two resistors in parallel?
Multiply them and divide by their sum. For 220 Ω and 330 Ω, that is 72,600 ÷ 550 = 132 Ω.
Is there a mnemonic for the resistor color code?
One common phrase is "Better Be Right Or Your Great Big Venture Goes West," whose first letters match black, brown, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, grey and white.