# resistor colours **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 25, 2011, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resistor-colours/583187 "2011-05-25T18:40:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blood63](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@blood63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blood63)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resistor-colours/583187/1 "2011-05-25T18:40:59Z")
I have a resistor that has five bands. brown red black black gold or brown (hard to see) What is its resistance? ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resistor-colours/583187/2 "2011-05-25T18:43:45Z")
> **[Electronic color code](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_color_code)** > > An electronic color code or electronic colour code (see spelling differences) is used to indicate the values or ratings of electronic components, usually for resistors, but also for capacitors, inductors, diodes and others. A separate code, the 25-pair color code, is used to identify wires in some telecommunications cables. Different codes are used for wire leads on devices such as transformers or in building wiring. > > Before industry standards were established, each manufacturer used its own... ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resistor-colours/583187/3 "2011-05-25T18:55:55Z")
120 ohms +/- 5% It’s 3 digits (brown =1 red = 2 black = 0), multiplier (black= 10 to the 0 power), and tolerance (gold = 5%). ---
**Author:** ![blood63](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@blood63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blood63)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resistor-colours/583187/4 "2011-05-25T18:58:04Z")
thanks!! I got messed up with the five bands. The site I was on only showed 4 bands. The third band is supposed to be the multiplier!? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resistor-colours/583187/5 "2011-05-25T19:05:17Z")
> [@blood63](#): > > thanks!! > I got messed up with the five bands. The site I was on only showed 4 bands. > > The third band is supposed to be the multiplier!? No, fourth. 1, 2, & 3 are the digits 4 is the multiplier 5 (if present) indicates tolerance. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resistor-colours/583187/6 "2011-05-25T19:05:22Z")
NM ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resistor-colours/583187/7 "2011-05-25T19:09:32Z")
By the way, if that last band is brown instead of gold it’s a 1% tolerance, which is probably more likely given that it’s a 5 band resistor. 4 band resistor: 1 & 2 are digits, 3 is multiplier, 4 is tolerance 5 band resistor: 1 & 2 & 3 are digits, 4 is multiplier, 5 is tolerance 6 band resistor: 1 & 2 & 3 are digits, 4 is multiplier, 5 is tolerance, 6 is temperature coefficient ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resistor-colours/583187/8 "2011-05-25T19:12:51Z")
Bad Boys Rape Our Young Girls But Violet Gives Willingly. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resistor-colours/583187/9 "2011-05-25T19:23:43Z")
According to [this](http://www.hobby-hour.com/electronics/resistorcalculator.php) page, brown red black black gold -\> invalid brown red black black brown -\> 120 Ω, but a non-standard 1% E96 value. Reverse from what you gave: gold black black red brown -\> invalid brown black black red brown -\> 10 kΩ 1% (E96) So might it be 10 kΩ? ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resistor-colours/583187/10 "2011-05-25T20:15:17Z")
Nifty site, thanks for that link **Crafter\_Man**. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resistor-colours/583187/11 "2011-05-25T20:19:07Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Bad Boys Rape Our Young Girls But Violet Gives Willingly. Get Some Now Gold = 10% Silver = 5% None = 1% ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resistor-colours/583187/12 "2011-05-25T20:24:37Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Bad Boys Rape Our Young Girls But Violet Gives Willingly. That is not what I was taught. The teacher said we would have to learn that one from other people. It think it took about 1/2 hour before everyone in the class had learned that one. Big Buicks Run On Yellow Gas But Volkswagens Go Without Was deemed acceptable for teaching to young impressionable minds. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resistor-colours/583187/13 "2011-05-25T20:27:21Z")
> [@gazpacho](#): > > Big Buicks Run On Yellow Gas But Volkswagens Go Without > Was deemed acceptable for teaching to young impressionable minds. Get Some Now still works. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resistor-colours/583187/14 "2011-05-25T20:41:50Z")
> [@gazpacho](#): > > That is not what I was taught. The teacher said we would have to learn that one from other people. It think it took about 1/2 hour before everyone in the class had learned that one. > Big Buicks Run On Yellow Gas But Volkswagens Go Without > Was deemed acceptable for teaching to young impressionable minds. Originally, the first word taught in mine was “Black!” It got revised in college. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resistor-colours/583187/15 "2011-05-25T20:45:36Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Bad Boys Rape Our Young Girls But Violet Gives Willingly. The PC version that I learned was **Big Boys Race Our Young Girls But Violet Generally Wins.** But I concede that the other version has more punch, and is likely remembered more often. Incidentally, note that the colors are those of the rainbow, in order(but without that confusing “indigo”, with brown and black at the beginning and gold and white at the end. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resistor-colours/583187/16 "2011-05-25T20:53:15Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Originally, the first word taught in mine was “Black!” It got revised in college. I still remember it this way as well. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resistor-colours/583187/17 "2011-05-25T20:53:38Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Originally, the first word taught in mine was “Black!” It got revised in college. Billy Boy Rapes…etc. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resistor-colours/583187/18 "2011-05-25T21:42:38Z")
> [@](#): > > Incidentally, note that the colors are those of the rainbow, in order(but without that confusing “indigo” Just like the rainbow. The only reason “indigo” ever got included in the list is that Newton thought that seven colors made for better numerology. If you’re going to include indigo, then you might as well go all the way and include teal, chartreuse, and the rest. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resistor-colours/583187/19 "2011-05-25T22:06:31Z")
> [@](#): > > Just like the rainbow. The only reason “indigo” ever got included in the list is that Newton thought that seven colors made for better numerology. If you’re going to include indigo, then you might as well go all the way and include teal, chartreuse, and the rest. Not numerology, really. If you read his _Opticks_ you can see that he’s making an analogy with musical tones, and there are seven notes in an octave (excluding the top note, which we call by the same name as the bottom one, and don’t really include in the “octave”). I suspect that we’ve retained the seven colors all this time because we wanted to let Roy G. Biv have a pronounceable last name. For what it’s worth, at one time “indigo” really was seen as a separate color, although we’d be likely to lump it in with “blue”. the plant “indigo” is what they used to use to give Blue Jeans their characteristic color.