WE Chapter 1 (Colour Coding of Resistor)

CHAPTER 1: RESISTANCE, COLOUR CODE, SERIES AND
PARALLEL CONNECTION
Resister
Resistor is defined as
“A passive electrical component with two terminals that are used for either limiting or
regulating the flow of electric current in electrical circuits.”
The main purpose of resistor is to reduce the current flow and to lower the voltage in
any particular portion of the circuit. It is made of copper wires which are coiled around
a ceramic rod and the outer part of the resistor is coated with an insulating paint.
Unit of Resistor
The SI unit of resistor is Volt/Ampere that is also called Ohm.
Symbol of Resister
Power loss in a Resister

Power dissipation is the process of loss of power in the form of heat due to primary
action. It is a naturally occurring process. All the resistors that are part of the circuit
and have a voltage drop across them will dissipate power. The electrical power gets
converted to heat energy, and therefore all the resistors will have a power rating. The
power rating is the maximum power that can be dissipated from a resistor without
burning out.
If I current passes through a Resister R for the time duration t. Then power dissipated
by resister can be given by
The equation of power is P = v x i
P = i2 R [ since v = iR]
v is the voltage.
i is the current.
R is the resistance.
Use of Resister
1. Wire wound resistors find applications where balanced current control, high
sensitivity, and accurate measurement are required like in shunt with ampere
meter.
2. Photoresistors find application in flame detectors, burglar alarms, in photographic
devices, etc.
3. Resistors are used for controlling temperature and voltmeter.
4. Resistors are used in digital multi-meter, amplifiers, telecommunication, and
oscillators.
5. They are also used in modulators, demodulators, and transmitters.
What is Colour coding of resister?

Resistor colour coding is a method used to indicate the resistive value, tolerance, and
temperature coefficient of resistors with low wattage rating. The colour code values
are given by a sequence of colour bands on the resistor. The first two or three bands
represent the significant digits of the resistance, the next band represents the
multiplier, and the last band represents the tolerance.
Calculation of resistance by using colour code
Then we can summarise the different weighted positions of each coloured band which
makes up the resistors colour code above in the following table:
Calculating Resistance by using Colour Code
The Resistor Colour Code system is all well and good but we need to understand how
to apply it in order to get the correct value of the resistor. The “left-hand” or the most
significant coloured band is the band which is nearest to a connecting lead with the
colour coded bands being read from left-to-right as follows:
Digit, Digit, Multiplier = Colour, Colour x 10 colour in Ohm’s (Ω)
For example, a resistor has the following coloured markings;
Yellow Violet Red = 4 7 2 = 4 7 x 102 = 4700Ω or 4k7 Ohm.
The fourth and fifth bands are used to determine the percentage tolerance of the
resistor. Resistor tolerance is a measure of the resistor’s variation from the specified
resistive value and is a consequence of the manufacturing process and is expressed
as a percentage of its “nominal” or preferred value.
Typical resistor tolerances for film resistors range from 1% to 10% while carbon
resistors have tolerances up to 20%. Resistors with tolerances lower than 2% are
called precision resistors with the or lower tolerance resistors being more expensive.
Most five band resistors are precision resistors with tolerances of either 1% or 2%
while most of the four band resistors have tolerances of 5%, 10% and 20%. The colour
code used to denote the tolerance rating of a resistor is given as:
Brown = 1%, Red = 2%, Gold = 5%, Silver = 10 %
If resistor has no fourth tolerance band then the default tolerance would be at 20%.
Resistors in Series
Two or more resistors are said to be connected in series when the same amount of
current flows through all the resistors. In such circuits, the voltage across each resistor
is different. In a series connection, if any resistor is broken or a fault occurs, then the
entire circuit is turned off. The construction of a series circuit is simpler compared to
a parallel circuit.
For the above circuit, the total resistance is given as:

Rtotal = R1 + R2 + ….. + Rn
The total resistance of the system is just the total sum of individual resistances.
For example, consider the following sample problem.
Q. A resistor with an electrical resistance value of 100 ohms is connected to another
with a resistance value of 200 ohms. The two resistances are connected in series.
What is the total resistance across the system?
Here, R1 = 100 Ω and R2= 200 Ω
Rtotal = 100 + 200 = 300 Ω
Resistors in Parallel
Two or more resistors are said to be connected in parallel when the voltage is the
same across all the resistors. In such circuits, the current is branched out and
recombined when branches meet at a common point. A resistor or any other
component can be connected or disconnected easily without affecting other elements
in a parallel circuit.
The sum of reciprocals of resistance of an individual resistor is the total reciprocal
resistance of the system.
Q. A resistor with an electrical resistance value of 100 ohms is connected to another
with a resistance value of 200 ohms. The two resistances are connected in parallel.
What is the total resistance across the system?

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CHAPTER 1: RESISTANCE, COLOUR CODE, SERIES AND

Power loss in a Resister

What is Colour coding of resister?

Calculation of resistance by using colour code

Calculating Resistance by using Colour Code

For the above circuit, the total resistance is given as:

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