Home/Science/Resistor Color Code Calculator

Resistor Color Code Calculator

Read the value of any through-hole resistor by selecting its colored bands. This calculator supports 4, 5 and 6 band resistors and converts the colors into a resistance in ohms plus a tolerance and, on 6 band parts, a temperature coefficient. The bands encode digits, a multiplier and a tolerance using the standard electronic color code where black is zero, brown is one, red is two and so on up to white for nine. Working the code out by eye is error prone, especially with gold and silver multipliers or tightly spaced bands, so a quick lookup saves time and prevents mistakes when you are stuffing a board or checking a salvaged part. Choose your band count, set each color, and the resistance updates instantly in your browser.

How to use Resistor Color Code Calculator

  1. Choose whether your resistor has 4, 5, or 6 bands.
  2. Select the color of each band from left to right.
  3. Read the resistance value, tolerance, and temperature coefficient.

Frequently asked questions

How do the bands map to a resistance value?

The first bands give significant digits, the next band is a multiplier, and later bands give tolerance and temperature coefficient. This calculator combines them into the final ohm value.

What is the difference between 4, 5, and 6 band resistors?

A 4 band resistor has two digit bands, a multiplier, and a tolerance band. A 5 band adds a third digit band, and a 6 band adds a temperature coefficient band.

What does the tolerance band tell me?

Tolerance is the allowed percentage the real resistance can deviate from the coded value, for example a gold band means plus or minus 5 percent.

What is Resistor Color Code Calculator?

Read the value of any through-hole resistor by selecting its colored bands. This calculator supports 4, 5 and 6 band resistors and converts the colors into a resistance in ohms plus a tolerance and, on 6 band parts, a temperature coefficient.

Is Resistor Color Code Calculator free to use?

Yes. Resistor Color Code Calculator is completely free, with no sign-up and no usage limits.

Does Resistor Color Code Calculator work in a web browser?

Yes. Resistor Color Code Calculator runs in any modern web browser. There is nothing to download or install.

Is my data private with Resistor Color Code Calculator?

Yes. Resistor Color Code Calculator runs entirely on your device in your browser, so nothing you enter is uploaded to a server.