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    Resistor Color Code Chart

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    NafeesAhmad
    Color coding is used to identify resistor values and ratings by using colored bands. In the 1920s, a standard was developed where each color corresponded to a number or multiplier. This allows very small resistors to easily be coded with their values. There are 4, 5, and 6 band resistors where each band represents a digit, multiplier, tolerance, or temperature coefficient. Charts are provided that identify the value given a resistor's color bands. While color coding can be difficult for colorblind or faded resistors, multimeters can still determine the value.

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    Resistor Color Code Chart

    Uploaded by

    NafeesAhmad
    266 views6 pages
    Color coding is used to identify resistor values and ratings by using colored bands. In the 1920s, a standard was developed where each color corresponded to a number or multiplier. This allows very small resistors to easily be coded with their values. There are 4, 5, and 6 band resistors where each band represents a digit, multiplier, tolerance, or temperature coefficient. Charts are provided that identify the value given a resistor's color bands. While color coding can be difficult for colorblind or faded resistors, multimeters can still determine the value.

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    Color coding is used to identify resistor values and ratings by using colored bands. In the 1920s, a standard was developed where each color corresponded to a number or multiplier. This allows very small resistors to easily be coded with their values. There are 4, 5, and 6 band resistors where each band represents a digit, multiplier, tolerance, or temperature coefficient. Charts are provided that identify the value given a resistor's color bands. While color coding can be difficult for colorblind or faded resistors, multimeters can still determine the value.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    266 views6 pages

    Resistor Color Code Chart

    Uploaded by

    NafeesAhmad
    Color coding is used to identify resistor values and ratings by using colored bands. In the 1920s, a standard was developed where each color corresponded to a number or multiplier. This allows very small resistors to easily be coded with their values. There are 4, 5, and 6 band resistors where each band represents a digit, multiplier, tolerance, or temperature coefficient. Charts are provided that identify the value given a resistor's color bands. While color coding can be difficult for colorblind or faded resistors, multimeters can still determine the value.

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    Resistor Color Code Chart – Understanding Resistance Color Coding

    “Color coding” is used in electronics to identify between different components.


    In the case of resistors, color coding is used to identify a specific resistance
    value, for example a 100 ohms resistor or a 1 kilo ohms resistor with 5%
    tolerance. Electronic components like resistors are very small in size and its
    difficult to print its value directly on to the component surface. Hence a standard
    was formed in 1920 by then Radio Manufacturers Association (now part of EIA –
    Electronic Industries Alliance) to identify values and ratings of electronic
    components by printing color codes on them.  Color coding technique makes it
    easy to print values (based on color codes) on small components, such as
    resistors and facilitates  cost effective manufacturing.
    This technique of “color coding” has 2 disadvantages. The first one appeals to
    general users where it becomes difficult to distinguish between colors (for
    example “Red” and “Brown” ) when the component is over heated. But this is not
    a major concern as the exact value can be easily identified using a multimeter
    (in case of confusion). The next drawback is for a specific group of people – color
    blind people can not identify the device using color codes. However they too can
    depend on multimeter to identify resistance values.

    How to Identify Resistor Color Code


    The figure below shows the layout of the bands, the multiplier and the tolerance
    value of a resistor. For a 6-band resistor, an additional temperature coefficient
    band is provided.
    The gap between the multiplier and the tolerance specifies the left and right side
    of the resistor.  So here are the key points;

    4 band resistor – has 3 color bands on left side and one color band on right side.
    First two bands represent significant digits, the 3rd band represents multiplier
    and the fourth band on right side represents tolerance.
    5 band resistor  – has 4 color bands on left side and one color band on right
    side. Here the first 3 color bands represent significant digits, fourth one
    represent multiplier and the 5th one on right side represents tolerance.
    6 band resistor – has 4 color bands on left side and 2 color bands on right side.
    Here the first 3 color bands represents significant digits, fourth one represents
    multiplier, 5th one represents tolerance and the 6th one represents temperature
    coefficient of the resistor.
    In a 4-band resistor, the first two bands represent the first two digits of the
    resistor. The multiplier band indicates the value that is to be multiplied with the
    first two digits. The tolerance band after the multiplier band indicates the range
    of accuracy of the resistor. It is represented in units of percentage.  In case of 5
    band resistor,  the decimal multiplier will be assigned to the fourth band and
    tolerance value will be assigned to the fifth band. Finally in case of a 6 band
    resistor, the last band (i.e 6th band) represents temperature coefficient. .The
    sixth temperature coefficient band increases the precision of the resistance
    value. Temperature coefficient tells us the behavior of resistor under different
    heating conditions (means the variation in resistance values under normal
    conditions and over heated conditions)It is defined in units of ppm/K.

    Resistor Color Code Chart


    We have presented 3 charts below – which are exactly resistor color code charts
    for 4 band, 5 band and 6 band resistors respectively.

    4-Band Resistor Color Code Identification

    Let us consider the color code for the resistor with the bands BROWN-BLACK-
    RED-GOLD. Brown corresponds to the value ‘1’ in the color chart. Black
    represents ‘0’ and Red represents the multiplier ‘100’. Thus the value of the
    resistance to the corresponding color code is 10*100 = 1000 ohms or 1 kilo ohm
    with the tolerance band being Gold which represents a tolerance of +/- 5%. Thus
    the actual value of the 1 kilo ohm can be between 950 ohms and 1050 ohms.

    Band 1 – First digit value of resistor

    Band 2 – Second digit value of resistor

    Band 3 – Decimal Multiplier

    Band 4 – Tolerance Value

    5-Band Resistor   Color Code Identification

    Let us consider the color code for the resistor with the bands YELLOW-VIOLET-
    BLACK-BROWN-GREY. Yellow corresponds to the value ‘4’ in the color chart.
    Violet represents ‘7’ and Black represents the value ‘0’.  Brown represents the
    multiplier ‘10’. Thus the value of the resistance to the corresponding color code
    is 470*10 = 4700 ohms or 4.7 kilo ohm with the tolerance band being Grey which
    represents a tolerance of +/- 0.05%.

    Band 1 – First digit value of resistor


    Band 2 – Second digit value of resistor

    Band 3 – Third digit value of resistor

    Band 4 – Decimal Multiplier

    Band 5 – Tolerance Value

    6-Band Resistor Color Code Identification

    Here also, if we can consider the same color code used for the 5-band, with an
    additional temperature coefficient band with a blue color. This shows that the
    resistor has a value of 4.7 kilo ohms, with tolerance +/- 0.05% and  with a
    temperature coefficient of 10 ppm/K.
    Band 1 – First digit value of resistor
    Band 2 – Second digit value of resistor

    Band 3 – Third digit value of resistor

    Band 4 – Decimal Multiplier

    Band 5 – Tolerance Value

    Band 6 – Temperature Coefficient

    Note:- Nowadays with advances in printing technology, its possible to print


    numeric values on small components as well. If you look at an SMD resistor
    (surface mount), you will see the resistance value printed directly on the surface
    of the resistor.

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