How to read Resistor Color Codes

Color Code:

How to read the color code

• First find the tolerance band, it will typically be gold ( 5%) and sometimes silver (10%)
• Starting from the other end, identify the first band:
  • Write down the number associated with that color
  • In this example it is blue or 6
• Now 'read' the next color:
  • In the example it is red so write down a '2' next to the six. (you should have '62' so far.)
• Now read the third or 'multiplier' band:
  • Write down that number of zeros
  • In this example it is two so we get '6200' or '6,200'
  • If the 'multiplier' band is Black (for zero) don't write any zeros down
  • If the 'multiplier' band is Gold move the decimal point one to the left
• If the resistor has one more band past the tolerance band it is a quality ban
  • Read the number as the '% Failure rate per 1000 hour'
  • This is rated assuming full wattage being applied to the resistors.
  • To get better failure rates, resistors are typically specified to have twice the needed wattage dissipation that the circuit produces) 1% resistors have three bands to read digits to the left of the multiplier
  • They have a different temperature coefficient in order to provide the 1% tolerance