RESISTOR COLOR CODE SYSTEM
Resistor color coding system applies to carbon film resistors, metal oxide film resistors, fusible resistors,
precision metal film resistors, and wirewound resistors (cylindrical with enlarged ends) of the axial lead type.
This system was employed for resistors when the surface area was not sufficient to print the resistance value
for the past time.
The first 3 (4) bands closest to one end of the resistor are used to determine the resistance. The fourth (fifth)
band represents the tolerance of the resistor. Additional information can be obtained from the last band.
Generally, If an additional fifth band is black, the resistor is a wirewound resistor. If an additional fifth band is
white, the resistor is a fusible resistor. If there is only one black band in the center, the resistor is called a zero
ohm resistor.
How to read
the resistor code
First find the tolerance
band, it will typically be
gold ( 5%) and sometimes
silver (10%). Starting from
the other end, identify the
first band - write down the
number associated with
that color; in this case Red
is 2. Now 'read' the next
color, here it is red so
write down a 2 next to the
two. (you should have '22'
so far.) Now read the third
or 'multiplier' band and
write down that number of
1. In this example, the
'multiplier' band is Black
so we get 22 .
RESISTANCE TOLERANCE
Symbol A B C D F G J K M
Resistance
tolerance
0.05% 0.1% 0.25% 0.5% 1% 2% 5% 10% 20%
SIGNIFICANT FIGURES OF NOMINAL RESISTANCE
E-6 RESISTANCE TOLERANCE (20%)
10 15 22 33 47 68 . . . . . .
E-12 RESISTANCE TOLERANCE (10%)
10 12 15 18 22 27 33 39 47 56 68 82
E-24 RESISTANCE TOLERANCE (2%; 5%; 10%)
10 11 12 13 15 16 18 20 22 24 27 30
33 36 39 43 47 51 56 62 68 75 82 91
E-96 RESISTANCE TOLERANCE (1%)
10.0 10.2 10.5 10.7 11. 0 11. 3 11. 5 11. 8 12.1 12.4 12.7 13.0
13.3 13.7 14.0 14.3 14.7 15.0 15.4 15.8 16.2 16.5 16.9 17.4
17.8 18.2 18.7 19.1 19.6 20.0 20.5 21.0 21.5 22.1 22.6 23.2
23.7 24.3 24.9 25.5 26.1 26.7 27.4 28.0 28.7 29.4 30.1 30.9
31.6 32.4 33.2 34.0 34.8 35.7 36.5 37.4 38.3 39.2 40.2 41.2
42.2 43.2 44.2 45.3 46.4 47.5 48.7 49.9 51.1 52.3 53.6 54.9
56.2 57.6 59.0 60.4 61.9 63.4 64.9 66.5 68.1 69.8 71.5 73.2
75.0 76.8 78.7 80.6 82.5 84.5 86.6 88.7 90.9 93.1 95.3 97.6
E-192 RESISTANCE TOLERANCE (0.1%; 0.25%; 0.5%)
10.0 10.1 10.2 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.9 11. 0 11. 1 11. 3 11. 4
11. 5 11. 7 11. 8 12.0 12.1 12.3 12.4 12.6 12.7 12.9 13.0 13.2
13.3 13.5 13.7 13.8 14.0 14.2 14.3 14.5 14.7 14.9 15.0 15.2
15.4 15.6 15.8 16.0 16.2 16.4 16.5 16.7 16.9 17.2 17.4 17.6
17.8 18.0 18.2 18.4 18.7 18.9 19.1 19.3 19.6 19.8 20.0 20.3
20.5 20.8 21.0 21.3 21.5 21.8 22.1 22.3 22.6 22.9 23.2 23.4
23.7 24.0 24.3 24.6 24.9 25.2 25.5 25.8 26.1 26.4 26.7 27.1
27.4 27.7 28.0 28.4 28.7 29.1 29.4 29.8 30.1 30.5 30.9 31.2
31.6 32.0 32.4 32.8 33.2 33.6 34.0 34.4 34.8 35.2 35.7 36.1
36.5 37.0 37.4 37.9 38.3 38.8 39.2 39.7 40.2 40.7 41.2 41.7
42.2 42.7 43.2 43.7 44.2 44.8 45.3 45.9 46.4 47.0 47.5 48.1
48.7 49.3 49.9 50.5 51.1 51.7 52.3 53.0 53.6 54.2 54.9 55.6
56.2 56.9 57.6 58.3 59.0 59.7 60.4 61.2 61.9 62.6 63.4 64.2
64.9 65.7 66.5 67.3 68.1 69.0 69.8 70.6 71.5 72.3 73.2 74.1
75.0 75.9 76.8 77.7 78.7 79.6 80.6 81.6 82.5 83.5 84.5 85.6
86.6 87.6 88.7 89.8 90.9 92.0 93.1 94.2 95.3 96.5 97.6 98.8
