Resistor Color Code worksheet

1. Color bands: Blue, Black, Red, Blue

1. Write the resistance as a 2-digit number times a power of 10

   $\mathrm{6,000}\text{\hspace{0.17em}Ω}$$=60\times {10}^2$

2. Swap each digit for its color. The power of 10 picks the multiplier color

   $\text{6, 0 → Blue, Black; 10^2 → Red}$

3. Bands from left to right

   $\text{Blue, Black, Red, Blue}$

4. The tolerance band allows ±0.25%, so find the lowest and highest value a good part can measure

   $\mathrm{6,000}\times 0.9975=\mathrm{5,985}\text{to}\mathrm{6,000}\times 1.0025=\mathrm{6,015}\text{\hspace{0.17em} Ω}$

2. Color bands: Yellow, Black, Black, Brown

1. Write the resistance as a 3-digit number times a power of 10

   $\mathrm{4,000}\text{\hspace{0.17em}Ω}$$=400\times {10}^1$

2. Swap each digit for its color. The power of 10 picks the multiplier color

   $\text{4, 0, 0 → Yellow, Black, Black; 10^1 → Brown}$

3. Bands from left to right

   $\text{Yellow, Black, Black, Brown}$

4. The tolerance band allows ±20%, so find the lowest and highest value a good part can measure

   $\mathrm{4,000}\times 0.8=\mathrm{3,200}\text{to}\mathrm{4,000}\times 1.2=\mathrm{4,800}\text{\hspace{0.17em} Ω}$

3. Resistance: 400,000 Ω

1. Digit bands: Yellow, Black read as a 2-digit number

   $4\times 10+0\times 1$$=40$

2. The yellow multiplier band says how many zeros to add, so multiply by 10^4

   $40\times {10}^4$$=\mathrm{400,000}\text{\hspace{0.17em}Ω}$

3. The tolerance band allows ±5%, so find the lowest and highest value a good part can measure

   $\mathrm{400,000}\times 0.95=\mathrm{380,000}\text{to}\mathrm{400,000}\times 1.05=\mathrm{420,000}\text{\hspace{0.17em} Ω}$

4. The resistance the bands stand for (its rated value)

   $\text{400 kΩ =}\mathrm{400,000}\text{\hspace{0.17em}Ω}$

4. Resistance: 40,000,000 Ω

1. Digit bands: Black, Yellow read as a 2-digit number

   $0\times 10+4\times 1$$=4$

2. The violet multiplier band says how many zeros to add, so multiply by 10^7

   $4\times {10}^7$$=\mathrm{40,000,000}\text{\hspace{0.17em}Ω}$

3. The tolerance band allows ±5%, so find the lowest and highest value a good part can measure

   $\mathrm{40,000,000}\times 0.95=\mathrm{38,000,000}\text{to}\mathrm{40,000,000}\times 1.05=\mathrm{42,000,000}\text{\hspace{0.17em} Ω}$

4. The resistance the bands stand for (its rated value)

   $\text{40 MΩ =}\mathrm{40,000,000}\text{\hspace{0.17em}Ω}$

5. Resistance: 65,000,000,000 Ω

1. Digit bands: Blue, Green read as a 2-digit number

   $6\times 10+5\times 1$$=65$

2. The white multiplier band says how many zeros to add, so multiply by 10^9

   $65\times {10}^9$$=\mathrm{65,000,000,000}\text{\hspace{0.17em}Ω}$

3. The tolerance band allows ±0.05%, so find the lowest and highest value a good part can measure

   $\mathrm{65,000,000,000}\times 0.9995=\mathrm{64,967,500,000}\text{to}\mathrm{65,000,000,000}\times 1.0005=\mathrm{65,032,500,000}\text{\hspace{0.17em} Ω}$

4. The resistance the bands stand for (its rated value)

   $\text{65 GΩ =}\mathrm{65,000,000,000}\text{\hspace{0.17em}Ω}$

6. Color bands: Green, Blue, Black, Brown, Gold

1. Write the resistance as a 3-digit number times a power of 10

   $\mathrm{5,600}\text{\hspace{0.17em}Ω}$$=560\times {10}^1$

2. Swap each digit for its color. The power of 10 picks the multiplier color

   $\text{5, 6, 0 → Green, Blue, Black; 10^1 → Brown}$

3. Bands from left to right

   $\text{Green, Blue, Black, Brown, Gold}$

4. The tolerance band allows ±5%, so find the lowest and highest value a good part can measure

   $\mathrm{5,600}\times 0.95=\mathrm{5,320}\text{to}\mathrm{5,600}\times 1.05=\mathrm{5,880}\text{\hspace{0.17em} Ω}$

7. Resistance: 217,000,000 Ω

1. Digit bands: Red, Brown, Violet read as a 3-digit number

   $2\times 100+1\times 10+7\times 1$$=217$

2. The blue multiplier band says how many zeros to add, so multiply by 10^6

   $217\times {10}^6$$=\mathrm{217,000,000}\text{\hspace{0.17em}Ω}$

3. The tolerance band allows ±2%, so find the lowest and highest value a good part can measure

   $\mathrm{217,000,000}\times 0.98=\mathrm{212,660,000}\text{to}\mathrm{217,000,000}\times 1.02=\mathrm{221,340,000}\text{\hspace{0.17em} Ω}$

4. The resistance the bands stand for (its rated value)

   $\text{217 MΩ =}\mathrm{217,000,000}\text{\hspace{0.17em}Ω}$

8. Resistance: 6,800 Ω

1. Digit bands: Blue, Grey read as a 2-digit number

   $6\times 10+8\times 1$$=68$

2. The red multiplier band says how many zeros to add, so multiply by 10^2

   $68\times {10}^2$$=\mathrm{6,800}\text{\hspace{0.17em}Ω}$

3. The tolerance band allows ±20%, so find the lowest and highest value a good part can measure

   $\mathrm{6,800}\times 0.8=\mathrm{5,440}\text{to}\mathrm{6,800}\times 1.2=\mathrm{8,160}\text{\hspace{0.17em} Ω}$

4. The resistance the bands stand for (its rated value)

   $\text{6.8 kΩ =}\mathrm{6,800}\text{\hspace{0.17em}Ω}$

9. Color bands: Blue, Green, Black, Brown, Yellow

1. Write the resistance as a 3-digit number times a power of 10

   $\mathrm{6,500}\text{\hspace{0.17em}Ω}$$=650\times {10}^1$

2. Swap each digit for its color. The power of 10 picks the multiplier color

   $\text{6, 5, 0 → Blue, Green, Black; 10^1 → Brown}$

3. Bands from left to right

   $\text{Blue, Green, Black, Brown, Yellow}$

4. The tolerance band allows ±0.02%, so find the lowest and highest value a good part can measure

   $\mathrm{6,500}\times 0.9998=\mathrm{6,498.7}\text{to}\mathrm{6,500}\times 1.0002=\mathrm{6,501.3}\text{\hspace{0.17em} Ω}$

10. Color bands: Yellow, Black, Black, Brown, Brown

1. Write the resistance as a 3-digit number times a power of 10

   $\mathrm{4,000}\text{\hspace{0.17em}Ω}$$=400\times {10}^1$

2. Swap each digit for its color. The power of 10 picks the multiplier color

   $\text{4, 0, 0 → Yellow, Black, Black; 10^1 → Brown}$

3. Bands from left to right

   $\text{Yellow, Black, Black, Brown, Brown}$

4. The tolerance band allows ±20%, so find the lowest and highest value a good part can measure

   $\mathrm{4,000}\times 0.8=\mathrm{3,200}\text{to}\mathrm{4,000}\times 1.2=\mathrm{4,800}\text{\hspace{0.17em} Ω}$

5. The sixth band shows how much the value drifts as the part warms: the change per degree, in parts per million

   $100\text{\hspace{0.17em}ppm/K}$