12 Ω resistor colour code (12R)
E12 series
12 Ω reads as Brown · Red · Black in bands. With ±5% it may sit anywhere from 11.4 Ω to 12.6 Ω.
Five bands
The first two bands are digits; the third is how many zeros follow. The gold band at the end is the ±5% tolerance.
- Value
- 12 Ω
- 4k7 notation
- 12R
- Four bands
- Brown · Red · Black · Gold
- Five bands
- Brown · Red · Black · Gold · Gold
- Multiplier
- ×10⁰
- Tolerance
- ±5%
- Actual range
- 11.4 – 12.6 Ω
- Series
- E12 series · E24 series
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.
Same 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.
Nearby values
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. What are the colour bands for 12 Ω?
Brown · Red · Black · Gold in four bands, or Brown · Red · Black · Gold · Gold in five.
Q. How is 12 Ω read?
The first two digits are 12, followed by 0 zeros, giving 12 Ω. In short form, 12R.
Q. What is the real value once tolerance is counted?
At ±5% it lies between 11.4 Ω and 12.6 Ω.
Q. Is 12 Ω a common value?
It belongs to E12. Most parts boxes carry it.