# What is the correct way to read color codes? [duplicate]

For example,

The resistor above has four colors. Green, blue, red, gold.

My calculation says its value is 562 ohms +-10%. But this page says its value is 5.6K-1/4W. What is my mistake?

## marked as duplicate by Blup1980, Bence Kaulics, Vladimir Cravero, Sparky256, Community♦Jul 14 '16 at 18:41

• the 2 stands for the number of zeroes, so "56 0 0" aka 5600 aka 5k6/5.6k – Wesley Lee Jul 14 '16 at 16:14
• With your system, how would you indicate any resistance over 999 ohms? – brhans Jul 14 '16 at 16:25

The third band (adjacent to the tolerance band) is a multiplier. This means that it is the number of zeroes after the first two digits. For example, a brown-red-orange-gold resistor would be 1 2 000 (three zeroes, since orange stands for 3) ohms.

For the record, a gold band means 5%, not 10%.

It is 5.6K 5%. The first two bands give you the value (56), the third is the multiplier (10^2) so 100 * 56 = 5600$\Omega$, and the final band is the tolerance (gold = +/-5%).

Well, in this 4 band resistor, the 4th band is actually % rating, as you guessed. However depending on how you google for tables, you have to search for "3 band resistor table" (yes, its confusing.. maybe the 4th band was an addendum/optional?).

So the first two bands represent algarisms, and the third represents an "n" multiplier (10ˆn).

So the value is given by:

[("band 1" *10) + (band 2)] * 10ˆ(band 3).

[50 + 6] * 100 = 5600, aka 5.6k, aka 5k6.

Or more roughly put:

Band 1 = algarism 1

Band 2 = algarism 2

Band 3 = amount of zeroes

In a resistor with 5 color bands (the 5th being %), the same applies, but the first 3 bands are algarisms and the 4th is the multiplier.