Resistor Color Code Calculator
Select the color bands on a 5-band resistor, and read off the resistance value and tolerance.
How to use the resistor color code calculator
- Select the color of the first three bands — they form the digits of the resistance value.
- Select the color of the fourth band — the multiplier.
- Select the color of the fifth band — the tolerance.
- The resistance value and tolerance update automatically.
How does the resistor color code work?
Resistors are too small to print the value directly on, so they instead use colored bands following an international standard (IEC 60062). On a 5-band resistor, the first three bands represent digits, the fourth is a multiplier (how many zeros to add), and the fifth indicates how precisely the actual value is guaranteed to match the stated one.
Frequently asked questions
What does the multiplier band mean?
The multiplier tells you how many times to multiply the three digits by — for example, a red multiplier band (×100) means the base number is multiplied by 100. Gold and silver as a multiplier mean ×0.1 and ×0.01 respectively, and are used on resistors under 10 Ω.
What does the tolerance band mean?
The tolerance indicates how much the actual resistance value can deviate from the stated value in manufacturing — for example, gold at ± 5% means a 10 kΩ resistor can in practice measure between 9.5 kΩ and 10.5 kΩ.
Why do some resistors have 4 bands and others 5?
4-band resistors have two digits + multiplier + tolerance, giving coarser precision. 5-band resistors have three digits + multiplier + tolerance, used where higher precision is needed.