How do I read a 4-band resistor?

Bands 1 and 2 are significant digits. Band 3 is the multiplier (power of 10). Band 4 is tolerance (gold = ±5%, silver = ±10%). Read left to right, with the tolerance band toward the right.

What is the E-series?

Resistors are manufactured in standard E-series values (E12, E24, E48, E96) so that any value in the range can be reached within the tolerance. E12 has 12 values per decade; E96 has 96.

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Resistor Color Code Calculator

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Band 1 (digit)

Band 2 (digit)

Band 3 (mult)

Band 4 (tolerance)

1.000 kΩ

±5% tolerance

E12: ✓ StandardE24: ✓ Standard

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Bidirectional color code calculator for 4-band and 5-band resistors. Select colors for resistance and tolerance, or enter a value to get matching colors. Visual resistor diagram rendered in real time.

How to Use

1Select 4-band or 5-band resistor mode
2Color to Value: select each band color from the dropdown menus - resistance and tolerance appear instantly
3The visual resistor diagram updates in real time with the selected colors
4Value to Color: enter a resistance value - matching band colors are displayed
5The tolerance band shows gold (±5%) or silver (±10%) by default; other tolerances for 5-band

Features

4-band and 5-band resistor modes
Bidirectional: Color→Value and Value→Color
Visual resistor diagram with colored bands rendered in real time
All 10 digit colors plus gold/silver multiplier and tolerance bands
E12 / E24 standard value lookup
100% browser-based

Resistor Color Code Calculator

How to Use

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