🎚 Resistor Color Code Calculator

📖 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is a resistor color code?

A resistor color code is a system of colored bands printed on resistors to indicate their resistance value, tolerance, and sometimes temperature coefficient. Each color represents a number or multiplier.

2. How do I read a 4-band resistor?

A 4-band resistor has two digit bands, one multiplier band, and one tolerance band. Example: Red (2), Violet (7), Yellow (×10,000), Gold (±5%) → 270kΩ ±5%.

3. What is a 5-band resistor?

A 5-band resistor has three digit bands, one multiplier, and one tolerance band. Example: Brown (1), Black (0), Red (2), Orange (×1,000), Brown (±1%) → 10.2kΩ ±1%.

4. What is a 6-band resistor?

A 6-band resistor is similar to a 5-band resistor but includes an extra band that indicates the temperature coefficient (ppm/°C). This shows how much the resistance changes with temperature.

5. What is the tolerance of a resistor?

Tolerance is the accuracy of the resistor value. For example, a 100Ω ±5% resistor could have a real resistance between 95Ω and 105Ω.

6. What does ppm in a resistor mean?

PPM (parts per million per °C) indicates the change in resistance with temperature. For example, a 50 ppm/°C resistor changes by 0.005% per degree Celsius.

7. Which resistors are most accurate?

Resistors with low tolerance (±0.1% or ±0.25%) and low ppm (like 5 ppm/°C) are the most accurate. These are usually found in precision circuits.