Resistor Color Code Calculator
Decode 4, 5 and 6-band resistor colours into resistance and tolerance.
About the Resistor Color Code Calculator
Read from the end with bands grouped closer together. On a 4-band resistor the first two bands are digits, the third a multiplier and the fourth tolerance; 5- and 6-band resistors have three digits, and the sixth band shows the temperature coefficient. Colour codes follow IEC 60062.
The formula
R = digits × multiplier
Colour code
| Colour | Digit | Multiplier | Tolerance |
|---|---|---|---|
| black | 0 | ×1 | — |
| brown | 1 | ×10 | ±1% |
| red | 2 | ×100 | ±2% |
| orange | 3 | ×1,000 | — |
| yellow | 4 | ×10,000 | — |
| green | 5 | ×100,000 | ±0.5% |
| blue | 6 | ×1,000,000 | ±0.25% |
| violet | 7 | ×10,000,000 | ±0.1% |
| grey | 8 | ×100,000,000 | ±0.05% |
| white | 9 | ×1,000,000,000 | — |
| gold | — | ×0.1 | ±5% |
| silver | — | ×0.01 | ±10% |
Worked example
Example: Resistance = 10 kΩ ±5%
- Inputs: Bands: 4; Band 1: Brown; Band 2: Black; Multiplier: Orange; Tolerance: Gold.
- Formula: R = digits × multiplier
- Result: Resistance = 10 kΩ ±5%
Questions people ask
Which end is first?
The end nearest a band; tolerance bands (gold/silver) are last and often spaced apart.
Mnemonic?
Black, brown, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, grey, white: digits 0–9.