A Resistor Color Code Calculator is a handy tool for electronics enthusiasts, engineers, and hobbyists alike. Resistors, key components in electronic circuits, are marked with color bands to indicate their resistance values. Understanding these color bands allows you to quickly determine the resistance value, tolerance, and sometimes even temperature coefficient of a resistor.
For 4-band resistors, each color band represents a specific digit, a multiplier, or a tolerance level, all based on a standardized color chart. Using this chart, you can easily decode any resistor’s resistance value with accuracy. This guide will walk you through interpreting each color band and calculating the resistance using the 4-band color code.
Resistor Color Code Calculator
For a 4-band resistor color code, the bands are interpreted as follows:
- Band 1: First significant digit
- Band 2: Second significant digit
- Band 3: Multiplier
- Band 4: Tolerance
Color Code Chart for 4-Band Resistor
| Color and Value | First Band | Second Band | Multiplier | Tolerance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black (0) | 0 | 0 | 1 Ω | |
| Brown (1) | 1 | 1 | 10 Ω | ±1% |
| Red (2) | 2 | 2 | 100 Ω | ±2% |
| Orange (3) | 3 | 3 | 1 kΩ | |
| Yellow (4) | 4 | 4 | 10 kΩ | |
| Green (5) | 5 | 5 | 100 kΩ | ±0.5% |
| Blue (6) | 6 | 6 | 1 MΩ | ±0.25% |
| Violet (7) | 7 | 7 | 10 MΩ | ±0.10% |
| Gray (8) | 8 | 8 | 100 MΩ | ±0.05% |
| White (9) | 9 | 9 | 1 GΩ | |
| Gold (±5%) | 0.1Ω | ±5% | ||
| Silver (±10%) | 0.01Ω | ±10% | ||
Example Calculation
Suppose you have a resistor with the following color bands:
- Band 1: Red
- Band 2: Violet
- Band 3: Yellow
- Band 4: Gold
Calculation:
- First Digit (Band 1): Red = 2
- Second Digit (Band 2): Violet = 7
- Multiplier (Band 3): Yellow = (10^4) = 10,000
- Tolerance (Band 4): Gold = ±5%
So, the resistor value is:
27 X 10,000 = 270,000 Ω (270 KΩ) ±5%
