Resistor Colour Code Calculator – 4, 5 & 6 Band Resistors
Use this free resistor colour code calculator to find the resistance, tolerance and temperature coefficient of any through-hole resistor. Choose the colour bands to read the value, or type a resistance to see which colours to look for. It works for 4-band, 5-band and 6-band resistors and shows the minimum and maximum resistance allowed by the tolerance.
How to read resistor colour bands
Hold the resistor so the tolerance band (usually gold or silver, set slightly apart) is on the right. Read from the left: the first bands are digits, the next band is the multiplier, then the tolerance. A 4-band resistor has two digits, a 5-band resistor has three digits for higher precision, and a 6-band resistor adds a temperature coefficient band in ppm/°C.
Example: yellow, violet, red, gold = 4, 7, ×100, ±5% = 4,700 Ω (4.7 kΩ) ±5%.
Frequently asked questions
How do I read a 4-band resistor?
Bands 1 and 2 give the digits, band 3 is the multiplier and band 4 is the tolerance. Brown, black, red, gold is 1, 0, ×100 = 1 kΩ ±5%.
What is the difference between 4, 5 and 6 band resistors?
A 5-band resistor uses three significant digits for finer values and tighter tolerances. A 6-band resistor has the same bands plus a temperature coefficient that shows how much the value drifts as the temperature changes.
Which end do I start reading from?
Start from the end with the bands closest to the edge. The tolerance band is separated by a larger gap and is usually gold or silver. If unsure, measure with a multimeter.
What do gold and silver mean on a resistor?
As the multiplier, gold is ×0.1 and silver is ×0.01. As the tolerance band, gold is ±5% and silver is ±10%.