Resistor Color Code Calculator

Read the color bands from left to right. The bands closest to the end of the resistor are the start bands. In a standard 4-band resistor, the first two bands represent digits, the third represents the multiplier (number of zeros), and the fourth indicates the tolerance.

A 4-band resistor uses two digit bands, one multiplier band, and one tolerance band. A 5-band resistor is a high-precision component that adds a third digit band to allow for more precise values, followed by the multiplier and tolerance bands.

A 6-band resistor is identical to a 5-band resistor but adds a sixth band at the end. This sixth band represents the Temperature Coefficient, which tells you how much the resistor's value changes as the component heats up or cools down (measured in ppm/K).

Tolerance is the margin of error for the resistor's actual value, expressed as a percentage. For example, a 1,000 Ohm resistor with a ±5% tolerance (gold band) could measure anywhere between 950 Ohms and 1,050 Ohms in real-world conditions.

Gold (±5%) and Silver (±10%) are the most common tolerance bands for standard carbon film resistors. Modern precision metal film resistors often use Brown (±1%) or Red (±2%) bands for tighter tolerances.