Resistor Color Code
Understanding resistor color codes is important for electronics learners & engineers.
This chart makes determining resistor values easier. Here are the important elements to know:
Color Code Basics
A resistor’s bands represent its values. The first two bands represent significant digits, the third the multiplier, and the fourth, if present, tolerance. The colours run from black (0) to white (9), with gold & silver representing decimals and tolerance.
The significant digits and multiplier are as follows: black = 0, brown = 1, red = 2, orange = 3, yellow = 4, green = 5, blue = 6, violet = 7, grey = 8, and white = 9.
Multipliers: Black = 1Ω, Brown = 10Ω, Red = 100Ω, Orange = 1kΩ, Yellow = 10kΩ, Green = 100kΩ, Blue = 1MΩ, Violet = 10MΩ,
Gold = 0.1, and Silver = 0.01.
Tolerance Levels: Gold = ±5%, Silver = ±10%, and None = ±20%. Accuracy is important
Ex: Green (0.5%) ensures excellent precision in key circuits.
Breakdown: For a red, blue, green, and silver resistor:
Red = 2, Blue = 6 (26), Green = x100,000 (2.6 MΩ), and Silver = ±10%. Thus, 2.6MΩ ± 10% is a viable approach for decoding values.
Prefix Conversions to Scale Resistance
Consider quantities such as Tera (T), Giga (G), Mega (M), Kilo (k), milli (m), micro (µ), nano (n) & pico (p). For example, 1MΩ equals 1,000,000Ω.
Importance
This method allows for instant identification without tools, which is essential for troubleshooting, designing & repairing electronics.
Mastering this code increases efficiency and accuracy.
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