Resistor Color Code Calculator
Bands
Resistance
470 Ω ±5%
Range 447 Ω to 494 Ω
Read from the end with bands bunched together; the tolerance band (often gold) is set apart on the other end.
Value to color bands
e.g. 4700 for 4.7 kΩ, 0.47 for 0.47 Ω
- 4-band
- yellow · violet · red · gold (±5%)
- 5-band
- yellow · violet · black · brown · brown (±1%)
Read a resistor's value and tolerance from its 4- or 5-band color code, or find the color bands for any resistance value, with the range of actual resistance the tolerance allows.
Formula
Worked Example
Yellow is 4 and violet 7, giving 47; the brown multiplier is ×10, so 470 Ω. Gold means ±5%, so a good part measures between 446.5 and 493.5 Ω.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the resistor color numbers mean?
Black 0, brown 1, red 2, orange 3, yellow 4, green 5, blue 6, violet 7, gray 8, white 9. As multipliers they mean that power of ten, and gold and silver mean ×0.1 and ×0.01. For tolerance, brown is ±1%, red ±2%, gold ±5% and silver ±10%.
Which end of a resistor do I read from?
Start from the end where the bands are bunched together; the tolerance band, often gold or silver, is usually set apart at the other end. If one reading gives a value that isn't a standard E-series value, try the other direction.
What is the difference between 4-band and 5-band resistors?
A 5-band resistor has three significant digits instead of two, for precision parts with 1% or 2% tolerance: 4.7 kΩ is yellow, violet, red, gold in 4 bands and yellow, violet, black, brown, brown in 5.