144 resistor values and their bands
The whole E24 series from 10 Ω to 9.1 MΩ. The bands are just the digits written in colour, so they follow from the value.
The bands
The first two bands are digits; the third is how many zeros follow. The gold band at the end is the ±5% tolerance.
Which end to start from · The tolerance band sits a little apart from the rest. Start from the crowded end. If you can see gold or silver, that band is the last one.
Series
E6 series
The coarsest series, six values per decade. These sit in every parts drawer.
E12 series
Twelve per decade, filling the gaps between the E6 values.
E24 series
Twenty-four per decade. Every value on this site belongs to E24.
By decade
The same twenty-four values repeat with a different number of zeros — 47 Ω, 470 Ω and 4.7 kΩ all start with the same two colours.
10 Ω – 91 Ω
100 Ω – 910 Ω
1 kΩ – 9.1 kΩ
10 kΩ – 91 kΩ
100 kΩ – 910 kΩ
1 MΩ – 9.1 MΩ
How to read this
- Colours are digits: black 0, brown 1, red 2, orange 3, yellow 4, green 5, blue 6, violet 7, grey 8, white 9.
- The third band counts the zeros. Yellow, violet, red means 47 with two zeros — 4.7 kΩ.
- A five-band resistor reads three digits, so its multiplier band drops by one step.
- The tolerance band sits slightly apart, which is how you know which end is the back.
Frequently asked questions
Q. Which end do I read from?
The end where the tolerance band sits slightly apart is the back. If you can see gold or silver, that band is the last one.
Q. What is the E24 series?
The standard values that split each decade into twenty-four steps: 10, 11, 12, 13, 15 … Spaced logarithmically, so whatever value you need, one is within 5%.
Q. Why write 4k7 instead of 4700 Ω?
Because a decimal point can fade or vanish in print, and 4.7 then looks like 47. Putting the unit where the point would go removes the risk.
Q. How do I read a five-band resistor?
Three digits, then the multiplier. Since one more digit is read, the multiplier steps down by one.
Q. How much does ±5% actually matter?
A 4.7 kΩ part may be anywhere from 4,465 Ω to 4,935 Ω — nearly touching the ranges of its neighbours 4.3 kΩ and 5.1 kΩ.