# Resistor Color Code Calculator (4 Band and 5 Band)

> Source: https://netray.co/tools/resistor-color-code-calculator
> Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems.
> Section: Free Tools

## Short answer

Select the colors of a 4 or 5 band through-hole resistor and get its value in ohms, kilohms, tolerance and acceptable min and max range.

## Category

electronics

## Industry

Electronics Manufacturing

## Audience

- Electronics technician
- Incoming inspector
- Design engineer
- Electronics buyer

## Tool

**Kind:** calculator

**Inputs:**

#### Number of bands

**Key:** bands

**Type:** select

**Default:** 4

**Options:**

##### 4 band (2 digits)

**Value:** 4

##### 5 band (3 digits)

**Value:** 5

#### Band 1 (first digit)

**Key:** d1

**Type:** select

**Default:** 1

**Options:**

##### Brown (1)

**Value:** 1

##### Red (2)

**Value:** 2

##### Orange (3)

**Value:** 3

##### Yellow (4)

**Value:** 4

##### Green (5)

**Value:** 5

##### Blue (6)

**Value:** 6

##### Violet (7)

**Value:** 7

##### Grey (8)

**Value:** 8

##### White (9)

**Value:** 9

#### Band 2 (second digit)

**Key:** d2

**Type:** select

**Default:** 0

**Options:**

##### Black (0)

**Value:** 0

##### Brown (1)

**Value:** 1

##### Red (2)

**Value:** 2

##### Orange (3)

**Value:** 3

##### Yellow (4)

**Value:** 4

##### Green (5)

**Value:** 5

##### Blue (6)

**Value:** 6

##### Violet (7)

**Value:** 7

##### Grey (8)

**Value:** 8

##### White (9)

**Value:** 9

#### Band 3 (third digit, 5 band only)

**Key:** d3

**Type:** select

**Default:** 0

**Help:** Ignored for 4 band resistors

**Options:**

##### Black (0)

**Value:** 0

##### Brown (1)

**Value:** 1

##### Red (2)

**Value:** 2

##### Orange (3)

**Value:** 3

##### Yellow (4)

**Value:** 4

##### Green (5)

**Value:** 5

##### Blue (6)

**Value:** 6

##### Violet (7)

**Value:** 7

##### Grey (8)

**Value:** 8

##### White (9)

**Value:** 9

#### Multiplier band

**Key:** mult

**Type:** select

**Default:** 2

**Options:**

##### Silver (x0.01)

**Value:** -2

##### Gold (x0.1)

**Value:** -1

##### Black (x1)

**Value:** 0

##### Brown (x10)

**Value:** 1

##### Red (x100)

**Value:** 2

##### Orange (x1k)

**Value:** 3

##### Yellow (x10k)

**Value:** 4

##### Green (x100k)

**Value:** 5

##### Blue (x1M)

**Value:** 6

##### Violet (x10M)

**Value:** 7

##### Grey (x100M)

**Value:** 8

##### White (x1G)

**Value:** 9

#### Tolerance band

**Key:** tol

**Type:** select

**Default:** 5

**Options:**

##### Silver (10%)

**Value:** 10

##### Gold (5%)

**Value:** 5

##### Brown (1%)

**Value:** 1

##### Red (2%)

**Value:** 2

##### Green (0.5%)

**Value:** 0.5

##### Blue (0.25%)

**Value:** 0.25

##### Violet (0.1%)

**Value:** 0.1

##### Grey (0.05%)

**Value:** 0.05

**Outputs:**

#### Significant digits

**Key:** sig

**Expr:** if(eq(bands, 5), d1 * 100 + d2 * 10 + d3, d1 * 10 + d2)

**Format:** integer

**Description:** Digits read before the multiplier

#### Resistance (ohms)

**Key:** ohms

**Expr:** sig * pow(10, mult)

**Format:** decimal

**Primary:** true

**Description:** Nominal value in ohms

#### Resistance (kilohms)

**Key:** kohms

**Expr:** ohms / 1000

**Format:** decimal

#### Tolerance (ohms)

**Key:** delta

**Expr:** ohms * tol / 100

**Format:** decimal

#### Minimum acceptable

**Key:** rmin

**Expr:** ohms - delta

**Format:** decimal

**Primary:** true

**Description:** Lowest reading that passes at room temperature

#### Maximum acceptable

**Key:** rmax

**Expr:** ohms + delta

**Format:** decimal

**Disclaimer:** Standard color codes only. Some 5 band parts and military or precision types add a temperature coefficient band, and read direction is set by the tolerance band being at the end with a wider gap. Confirm with a meter when in doubt.

## Content

**Intro:** Through-hole resistors still turn up in repair work, prototypes, test fixtures and legacy builds. Pick the band colors and this calculator returns the value in ohms and the min and max range an incoming inspector should accept.

**Sections:**

#### How to read the bands

**Body:** Hold the resistor so the tolerance band, usually gold or silver and slightly separated from the rest, is on the right. Read left to right. On a 4 band part the first two bands are digits, the third is the multiplier and the fourth is tolerance. On a 5 band part the first three bands are digits, the fourth is the multiplier and the fifth is tolerance. For example brown, black, red, gold is 1, 0, times 100 = 1,000 ohms, plus or minus 5 percent.

**Bullets:**

- Gold and silver as multipliers give x0.1 and x0.01 for sub-10 ohm values.
- Brown or red tolerance bands usually indicate precision metal film parts.
- A single black band or zero ohm link has no value bands.

#### The formula and the tolerance range

**Body:** Resistance = significant digits x 10 raised to the multiplier exponent. Tolerance in ohms = resistance x tolerance percent / 100. The acceptable range is nominal minus and plus that tolerance. A 1 kilohm part at 5 percent can measure anywhere from 950 to 1,050 ohms. In practice measure out of circuit, and remember that meter lead resistance matters below a few ohms and that tolerance is specified at 20 to 25 C, with drift over temperature on top.

#### Common mistakes and sourcing notes

**Body:** People most often read the code from the wrong end, confuse red and orange under poor light, or treat a 5 band part as 4 band. Brown and red tolerance can be mistaken for digit bands. Surface mount resistors use printed codes instead, such as 103 for 10 kilohms, so check the marking system before relying on colors. When buying, put the full spec on the PO and AVL: value, tolerance, power rating, temperature coefficient, package and manufacturer part number. Color alone is not a purchasing specification.

**Cta:** If incoming inspection results and component specs live in your ERP, we can help connect them so measured values are checked against the item spec automatically. Optional, and the calculator works without it.

**Faq:**

#### How do I know which end to start reading from?

**Answer:** Start from the end opposite the tolerance band. The tolerance band is usually gold or silver and sits a little further from the others. If neither end has gold or silver, the group of bands closest to one lead is normally the first digit.

#### What does a 5 band resistor mean compared to a 4 band?

**Answer:** A 5 band resistor carries three significant digits instead of two, which allows finer values such as 4.99 kilohms, and is normally a 1 percent or better tolerance part. A 4 band resistor is commonly 5 or 10 percent.

#### What is the black multiplier band?

**Answer:** Black as a multiplier means times 1, so the digits are the actual ohm value. For example brown, black, black, gold is 10 ohms at 5 percent. As a digit, black is zero.

#### Does this calculator handle SMD resistor codes?

**Answer:** No. SMD chip resistors use printed numbers, such as 472 for 4.7 kilohms, or EIA-96 codes for 1 percent parts. This tool is for color banded axial resistors only.

## Search terms

resistor color code calculator, 4 band resistor calculator, 5 band resistor color code, resistor value from colors, resistor tolerance band, resistor color chart, ohms from color bands, resistor multiplier band

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