Resistor Color Code Calculator

Created by Hanna Pamuła, PhD

Reviewed by Dominik Czernia, PhD and Steven Wooding
Last updated: Jun 05, 2023

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Table of contents:
 How to read resistor color code?
 Example of how to use this resistor color code calculator
 4-band resistor color code
 5-band resistor color code
 6-band resistor color code
 What's the 10k resistor color code?

With this resistor color code calculator, you'll quickly and easily find out the
resistance of your resistor component. Just choose how many bands your
resistor has – 4, 5, or 6, select the colors, and in the blink of an eye, you'll
get the resistance with tolerance, range, and temperature
coefficient value (if you've chosen 6 band resistor color code).

If you want to understand how to read resistor color code, scroll down, and
you'll find their formulas and explanation. Also, we show a 10k resistor color
code as well as many other informative examples.

How to read resistor color code?

Color bands are an easy and cheap way of indicating the value of an
electronic component. The printed alphanumeric codes would be too small to
read on the tiniest resistors, so the color code was developed in the early
1920s.

The first question which usually arises is: how do I know from which end I
should start reading my resistor color code?
Fortunately, a couple of visual hints exist!

 In a usual case, the bands are not spaced regularly – there's a gap, and
bands are somehow grouped. The larger gap occurs before the
 tolerance band. Put the bigger group on the left side and read resistors
from left to right.
 Very often, the tolerance of the resistor is equal to 5% or 10%. These values
are marked with metallic colors – gold and silver, respectively. However, the
resistor color code never starts from such color – so if you find the
metallic color on your resistor, it's definitely the tolerance value, so
it must be placed on the right side. Again, read the resistor from left to
right.
 Usually, the first band will be closest to the end (but not always, so then
use other clues).

If none of the above appear to help your problem, you can always use a
multimeter to tell between two possible resistances – and reading directions.

OK, let's get down to brass tacks: How to read resistor color code?

The value of the resistance is marked with the colors. Every color is a
different number:

Color name Digit Color Color name Digit Color

Black 00 Green 55

Brown 11 Blue 66

Red 22 Violet 77

Orange 33 Gray 88

Yellow 44 White 99

It's the color code working for the first 2 or 3 bands from the left side.

Then, we have the band called the multiplier, and the color meaning is
different:

Color
Color name Multiply Color Digit Color
name

Black ×1 Ω×1 Ω Blue ×1 MΩ×1 MΩ

Brown ×10 Ω×10 Ω Violet ×10 MΩ×10 MΩ

 Color
Color name Multiply Color Digit Color
name

×100 Ω×100
Red Gray ×100 MΩ×100 MΩ
Ω

Orange ×1 kΩ×1 kΩ White ×1 Ω×1 Ω

×10 kΩ×10 k
Yellow Gold ×10 kΩ×10 kΩ
Ω

Green ×0.1 Ω×0.1 Ω Silver ×0.01 Ω×0.01 Ω

Here, color represents the power of 10, by which the number created from
previous bands must be multiplied. You can express the multipliers with
prefixes like kilo, mega, or giga (kΩkΩ, MΩMΩ, GΩGΩ), but also the
scientific notation is used – e.g., 109 Ω109 Ω (gigaohm).

And finally, the last band, which occurs in all types of resistors – 4, 5, and 6
band – is a tolerance band. It's expressed in percentages, and the variation
in components resistance is mostly of a statistical nature (normal
distribution):

Color Color
Multiply Color Digit
name name

Brown ±1%±1% Violet ±0.1%±0.1%

Red ±2%±2% Gray ±0.05%±0.05%

Green ±0.5%±0.5% Gold ±5%±5%

Blue ±0.25%±0.25% Silver ±10%±10%

So that's all you need to know about the color meaning for 4 and 5-band
resistor color codes. For 6-band resistors, there's an additional ring indicating
the temperature coefficient – read more about it in a paragraph dedicated to
6-band resistors. Scroll down and find out the formulas, depending on the
type of your resistor!
Example of how to use this resistor color
code calculator
We've tried really hard to make the resistor color code calculator as simple
and intuitive as possible, but if you have any problems, just have a look at
the example below!

1. Choose the number of bands on your resistor. There are three

options: 4, 5, or 6 bands. Let's assume you have a resistor with five
bands.
2. Pick the colors of the bands. If you don't know which is the first and
which is the last band, have a look at the pictures built into the
calculator. Generally, there's a gap before the tolerance band, so that's
how you can recognize the start and end. In our example, let's say we
have the colors: brown, red, violet, black and red.

3. The calculator draws the colored band. Compare them with your
resistor. Is it in the same order?
4. When you finish entering all bands, the resistor color code
calculator will show you the resistance, with tolerance and
maximum and minimum value resulting from a tolerance. In our
example, the resistance should be equal to 127 Ω127 Ω. Additionally, if
you've entered a 6-band resistor color code, the 6th band meaning will
also be displayed: the temperature coefficient, in ppm/°Cppm/°C.
We also have other tools which are closely linked to the topic, like the wire
resistance calculator or LED resistor calculator, to determine what resistance
you should use when creating an electronic circuit with LEDs. You can also
check out our Wheatstone bridge calculator.

4-band resistor color code

The formula for 4 band resistor color code may be written as:

�=band3×((10×band1)+band2)±band4R=band3×((10×band1)+band2)
±band4

But what does it mean, and how to read that? Let's have a look at the
example, and everything should be clear:

1. Assume we have a resistor with 4 color bands. The colors are green,
red, red, and gold.
 2. Take the first two colors – green and red. The corresponding digits
are 5 and 2. Put them together, and you'll get the number 52. You can
write it formally as:

(10×band1)+band2(10×5)+2=52(10(10×band1)+band2×5)+2=52
3. Take the third band – red. This time the meaning is different because
it's the multiplier band, and the corresponding factor is 100 Ω100 Ω.
Multiply the previous result by this value.

�=band3×((10×band1)+band2)=100 Ω×((10×5)+2)=5.2 kΩR

=band3×((10×band1)+band2)=100 Ω×((10×5)+2)=5.2 kΩ

Here you go! That's your resistor value. But one band is left. And it's...

4. The tolerance band. In our case, the band is gold, so the tolerance is
equal to 5%5%. That means that our resistor value is not exactly

anywhere in the range ⟨�min,�max⟩⟨Rmin,Rmax⟩:

the 5.2 kΩ5.2 kΩ, but 5.2 kΩ±5%5.2 kΩ±5%. So the value may lay

Minimum value: �min=�−(band4×�)Rmin=R−(band4×R) in our

example:
�min=5.2 kΩ−(5.2 kΩ×5%)=5.2 kΩ−0.26 kΩ=4.94 kΩRmin=5.2 k
Ω−(5.2 kΩ×5%)=5.2 kΩ−0.26 kΩ=4.94 kΩ

Maximum value: �max=�+(band4×�)Rmax=R+(band4×R) so in our

case:

�max=5.2 kΩ+(5.2 kΩ×5%)=5.2 kΩ+0.26 kΩ=5.46 kΩRmax=5.2 k

Ω+(5.2 kΩ×5%)=5.2 kΩ+0.26 kΩ=5.46 kΩ

And that's all! It wasn't so hard, was it? Check out the result with our resistor
color code calculator.

5-band resistor color code

The difference between 4 and 5-band resistors lies in significant digits. The
number of sig-figs is 2 or 3, respectively. So we may write the formula for 5
band resistor color code as:

�=band4×((100×band1)+(10×band2)+band3)±band5R=band4
×((100×band1)+(10×band2)+band3)±band5

Let's just expand our previous example - after two significant bands, green
and red, let's put the blue one:
 1. For green, red, and blue, the corresponding digits are 5, 2, and 6.
It's our number – 526526. Write it formally as:

(100×band1)+(10×band2)+band3(100×5)+(10×2)+6=526
(100×band1)+(10×band2)+band3(100×5)+(10×2)+6=526

2. The fourth red band is our multiplier ring again, with the
corresponding factor of 100 Ω. Multiply the obtained result by this
value:

�=band4×((100×band1)+(10×band2)+band3) R=band4×((100×band1
)+(10×band2)+band3)

Hence:

�=100×((100×5)+(10×2)+6)=52,600 Ω=52.6 kΩR

=100×((100×5)+(10×2)+6)=52,600 Ω=52.6 kΩ

resistor may lay anywhere in the range ⟨�min,�max⟩⟨Rmin,Rmax⟩:

3. And finally, the gold tolerance band means tolerance of 5%5%. Our

Minimum value: �min=�−(band5×�)Rmin=R−(band5×R) so in our

example:
�min=52.6 kΩ−(5.26 kΩ×5%)=52.6 kΩ−2.63 kΩ=49.97 kΩRmin
=52.6 kΩ−(5.26 kΩ×5%)=52.6 kΩ−2.63 kΩ=49.97 kΩ

Maximum value: �max=�+(band5×�)Rmax=R+(band5×R) in our

case:

�max=52.6 kΩ+(5.26 kΩ×5%)=52.6 kΩ+2.63 kΩ=55.23 kΩRma

x=52.6 kΩ+(5.26 kΩ×5%)=52.6 kΩ+2.63 kΩ=55.23 kΩ

6-band resistor color code

A 6 band resistor color code is almost like 5 band resistor, but it additionally
includes a temperature coefficient band at the last position. This thermal
coefficient (TCR) defines the change in resistance as a function of the
ambient temperature, and it's expressed in ppm/°Cppm/°C.

For example, suppose we have a resistor with TCR equal

to 50 ppm/°C50 ppm/°C. In that case, it means that the resistance won't
change more than 0.000050.00005 ohms per ohm per degree Centigrade
temperature change (but only in referenced temperature range, check out
the element's manual). Given TCR and information that the resistor's initial
value at room temperature �0=25 °CT0=25 °C is equal to, e.g., �0=50 ΩR0
=50 Ω, we can calculate the resistance �R after heating or cooling element
to another temperature, e.g., �=50 °CT=50 °C:
 �=�0×(1+TCR×(�−�0))=50 Ω×(1+0.00005 1°C×25 °C)=5
0.0625 ΩR=R0×(1+TCR×(T−T0))=50 Ω×(1+0.00005 °C1×25 °C)=50.0625 Ω
For those calculations, we can also use kelvin instead of degree Centigrade
temperature, as the difference between temperatures is the thing that
matters, not the absolute temperature value.

A similar concept to TCR is a thermal expansion coefficient – here, not

the resistance, but the length or volume of the element changes with the
temperature.

Watch out! Sometimes, the sixth band doesn't mean the thermal coefficient
but the reliability of the resistor, but those are sporadic cases.

The colors of the last band are coded as:

Color TCR Color

Color Digit
name [���/°�ppm/°C] name

Yello
Brown 100100 w 2525

Red 5050 Blue 1010

Orange 1515 Violet 55

What's the 10k resistor color code?

There are many options, depending on the tolerance and number of bands.

 4 band resistor color code for 10k resistor

 Always first three bands are the same:

1. The first band is brown, as it stands for 1.

2. The second band is black, which means 0.
3. The third band – multiplier x 1 kΩ1 kΩ – is orange.
4. The fourth band depends on the tolerance – so any color is possible
for the tolerance band.

Just to quickly check the calculations:

�=((10×band1)+band2)×band3=((10×1)+0)×1 kΩ=10 kΩR

=((10×band1)+band2)×band3=((10×1)+0)×1 kΩ=10 kΩ

Yes! Looks good.

 5 and 6 band resistor color code for 10k resistor

 Always first four bands are fixed:

1. The first band is brown, as it stands for 1.

2. The second band is black, which means 0.
3. The third band is black, which means 0.
4. The fourth band is a multiplier x 100 Ω100 Ω which is red.
5. The fifth (and sixth) band may be different, as they're the tolerance
and thermal coefficient values.

Check out again:

�=((100×band1)+(10×band2)+band3)×band4=((100×1)+(10×0
)+0)×100 Ω=100×100 Ω=10 kΩR=((100×band1)+(10×band2)+band3)×band4
=((100×1)+(10×0)+0)×100 Ω=100×100 Ω=10 kΩ

It's working. Great!

🙋 Now that you know how to read your resistor, you can use this skill to
design the best circuits for your needs. Omni has a great collection of tools
to help you do so. Try the:
 The series resistor calculator to find the total resistance in these circuits; or
 The parallel resistor calculator to discover the other common configuration.