Color code

Color codes are used on electronic components, such as resistors and capacitors, to indicate values or ratings. They have also been used on signaling wire and cable as well, particularly for

telephone and digital bus cables. The color-digit pairs used in the resistor example below are

standard, but the tolerance and higher multiplier values are for resistors only.

Resistor Example

     +- - - - - - - - - - - - -+

     |AA  BB  CC  DD           |

  ---|AA  BB  CC  DD           |---

     |AA  BB  CC  DD           |

     +- - - - - - - - - - - - -+

band A is first significant figure of resistance value in ohms

band B is the second significant figure

band C is the decimal multiplier

band D if present, indicates tolerance of value in percent (no color means 20%)

 color     sig fig    decimal    tolerance

 of band   or # 0s   multiplier    +/-

  black        0         100

  brown       1         101        1%

  red          2         102        2%

  orange       3         103        3%

  yellow      4         104        4%

  green       5         105

  blue        6         106

  violet      7         107

  gray        8         108

  white       9         109

  gold                  0.1        5% (or letter "J")

  silver                0.01      10% (or letter "K")

  no color                         20% (or letter "M")

/Talk