4 Band Colour Code: Colour Code: Brown, Black, Blue, Gold. Tolerance: Gold Band ±5%: Related Articles. Resistor Colour Code Standard Resistor Values Ohm’s Law. Use the Resistor Color Code Chart (below) to understand how to use the color code system. When looking at the chart, note the illustration of three round resistors with numerous color code bands. The first resistor in the chart (with 4 bands) tells you the minimum information you can learn from a resistor. The next (a 5-band code) provides a.
| Color | Value |
|---|---|
| Black | 0 |
| Brown | 1 |
| Red | 2 |
| Orange | 3 |
| Yellow | 4 |
| Green | 5 |
| Blue | 6 |
| Violet | 7 |
| Grey | 8 |
| White | 9 |
| Gold | ±5% |
| Silver | ±10% |
| None | ±20% |
Mnemonics are used to help memorize the electronic color codes of electronic components such as resistors.
The first letter of the color code is matched by order of increasing magnitude. The electronic color codes, in order, are:
- Black
- Brown
- Red
- Orange
- Yellow
- Green
- Blue
- Violet
- Gray
- White.
Easy to remember[edit]
Many forms of this mnemonic include 'bad', 'boy' and 'but' in that order such that the second letter provides for the disambiguation between the three colors starting with 'b':
- bad → black
- boys → brown
- but → blue
Some forms use literal color names ('black', 'brown', or 'blue') to be explicit and avoid any ambiguity amongst the 3 'b' colors.
Some mnemonics that are easy to remember include:
- BBROYGreat BVGreat Woman.
- Big Boys Race Our Young Girls But Violet Generally Wins.[1]
- Better Be Right Or Your Great Big Venture Goes West.[2]
- Beetle Bailey Runs Over Your General Before Very Good Witnesses.
- Beach Bums Rarely Offer You Gatorade But Very Good Water.
- Buster Brown Races Our Young Girls But Violet Generally Wins.
- Better Be Right Or Your Great Big Vacation Goes Wrong.
- Better Be Right Or Your Great Big Values Go Wrong.
- Better Be Right Or Your Great Big Plan Goes Wrong. (with P = Purple for Violet)
- Back-Breaking Rascals Often Yield Grudgingly But Virtuous Gentlemen Will Give Shelter Nobly. (with tolerance bands Gold, Silver or None)
- Better Be Right Or Your Great Big Plan Goes Wrong - Go Start Now!
- Black Beetles Running Over Your Garden Bring Very Grey Weather.
- Bad Booze Rots Our Young Guts But Vodka Goes Well – get some now.[3]
- Bat Brained Resistor Order You Gotta Be Very Good With.
- Big Beautiful Roses Occupy Your Garden But Violets Grow Wild.
- Black Bananas Really Offend Your Girlfriend But Violets Get Welcomed.
- Black Birds Run Over Your Biting Visible Grey Worms.
- Badly Burnt Resistors On Your Ground Bus Void General Warranty.
- Billy Brown Ran Out Yelling Get Back Violets Getting Wet.
- Better Be Right Or You're Gonna Be Violently Gouged With Golden Spaghetti.
- Bright Boys Rave Over Young Girls But Veto Getting Wed.
- Black Bears Raid Our Yellow Green Bins Violently Grabbing Whatever Goodies Smell Nice.
- Bachelor Boys Rush Our Young Girls But Veronica Goes Wild for Gold or Silver Necklaces.
A mnemonic that has attained some traction in recent years is:
- Big Brown Rabbits Often Yield Great Big Vocal Groans When Gingerly Slapped Needlessly.[4][5][6]
A mnemonic which includes colour names, and reduces the chances of confusing black and brown is:
- Blackend Brownies , really? only you growing blind, Violet! Great Wine, 5 Gold, 10 Silver or a 20 Note should make up for this.
- Betty Brown Runs Over Your Garden But Violet Grey Walks.
India[edit]
A mnemonic that is commonly taught in classrooms in India:
- BBROY of Great Britain had a Very Good Wife who wore Gold and Silver Necklace.[7]
- Bill Brown Realized Only Yesterday Good Boys Value Good Work.[8][9]
UK[edit]
Mnemonics commonly taught in UK engineering courses include:
- Bye Bye Rosie Off You Go to BirminghamVia Great Western.[10]
- Bye Bye Rosie Off You Go to BristolVia Great Western.[8]
- Bye Bye Rosie Oh!'You Go to Become a Very Good Wife.[7]
- Bill Brown Realized Only Yesterday Good Boys Value Good Work.[8][9]
Canada[edit]
A mnemonic that is taught in classrooms in Canada:
- Black Bears Roam Our Yukon Grounds But Vanish in Gray Winter.
Vacuum tube era[edit]
Popular in the days of vacuum-tube radios:
- Better Buy Resistors Or Your Grid Bias Voltages Go West. (go west = die)
Impact of Racist and Misogynist Mnemonics[edit]
Mnemonics describing specific and relatable scenarios are more memorable than abstract phrases (see mnemonic). Given the pervasive experience of racism and sexual violence against women in our culture, it is unsurprising that explicitly racist and misogynist mnemonics emerged alongside the numerous examples listed above.
One such term can be found listed in a 1960 textbook called Midwest Folklore illustrating the extent to which such violent phrases have been normalized in the past.[11] Casual use of another in an engineering class has been cited as evidence of the sexism faced by women in scientific fields.[12]Latanya Arvette Sweeney, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon, mentions yet another as one reason why she felt alienated and eventually dropped out of MIT in the 1980s to form her own software company.[13] Another was referenced in a 1993 book called Literature and Domination.[14] In 2011 a teacher in the UK was reprimanded by the General Teaching Council for alluding to and partial use of yet another.[15]
Continued use of such phrases perpetuates a culture that normalizes physical harm against women and Black, Asian, and Indigenous bodies (see Racism in the United States).
References[edit]
- ^{{Cite book |publisher=[[Thomson Delmar Learnin_YC&pg=PA48&dq=Big+Boys+Race+Our+Young+Girls+But+Violet+Generally+Wins}}
- ^'Acronyms from the Free Dictionary.com BBROYGBVGW'. 2013-05-15. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
- ^Campbell, Dean. 'The Mnemonics Page'. Bradley University Chemistry Department.
- ^Niebel, Benjamin W.; Freivalds, Andris (2003). Methods, Standards, and Work Design (Eleventh ed.). McGraw-Hill Professional. p. 297. ISBN978-0-07-246824-3.
- ^Ganssle, Jack (2004). The Firmware Handbook. Elsevier. p. 10. ISBN978-0-7506-7606-9.
- ^Ganssle, Jack G.; Noergaard, Tammy; Eady, Fred; Edwards, Lewin; Katz, David J.; Gentile, Rick; Arnold, Ken; Hyder, Kamal; Perrin, Bob (2008). Embedded Hardware: Know It All. Newnes. p. 17. ISBN978-0-7506-8584-9.
- ^ abDhir, S. M. (2000) [1999]. 'Passive Components'. Electronic Components and Materials: Principles, Manufacture & Maintenance (2007 fifth reprint ed.). India: Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Limited. p. 68. ISBN0-07-463082-2.
- ^ abcBhargava, N. N.; Kulshreshtha, D. C.; Gupta, S. C. (1984-01-01). 'Introduction to Electronics'. Basic Electronics and Linear Circuits. India: Tata Mcgraw-Hill. p. 8. ISBN0-07-451965-4.
- ^ abGambhir, R. S. (1993). 'DC Circuits'. Foundations Of Physics. 2. India: New Age International. p. 49. ISBN81-224-0523-1.
- ^Sinclair, Ian (2002-03-20). 'Resistors, networks and measurements'. Electronic and Electrical Servicing: Level 2. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Newnes. p. 44. ISBN0-7506-5423-6.
- ^Indiana University (1960). Midwest Folklore (v.10-11 1960-1961 ed.).
- ^Morse, Mary (2001). Women Changing Science: Voices from a Field in Transition. Basic Books. p. 308. ISBN0-7382-0615-6.
- ^Walter, Chip (2007-06-27). 'Privacy Isn't Dead, or At Least It Shouldn't Be: A Q&A with Latanya Sweeney'. Scientific American. Archived from the original on 2007-10-12. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
- ^Booker, M. Keith (1993). Literature and Domination: Sex, Knowledge, and Power in Modern Fiction. University Press of Florida. ISBN0-8130-1195-7.
- ^Hersey, James (2011-02-25). 'Sussex teacher reprimanded over 'racist rhyme''. BBC News. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
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Resistor color codes
How to read Resistor Color Codes
The 4-band code is used for marking low precision resistors with 5%, 10% and 20% tolerances. Identifying the value will become easy with a little practice, as there are only a few simple rules to remember:
- The first two bands represent the most significant digits of the resistance value. Colors are assigned to all the numbers between 0 and 9, and the color bands basically translate the numbers into a visible code. Black is 0, brown is 1, red is 2 and so on (see the color code table below). So, for example, if a resistor has brown and red as the first two bands, the most significant digits will be 1 and 2 (12).
- The third band indicates the multiplier telling you the power of ten to which the two significant digits must be multiplied (or how many zeros to add), using the same assigned value for each color as in the previous step. For example, if this band is red (2), you will multiply it by 102 = 100 (or add 2 zeros). So, for the resistor we used in the previous example, the value would be: 12 x 100 = 1200Ω (1.2kΩ).
Note: If the multiplier band is gold or silver, the decimal point is moved to the left by one or two places (divided by 10 or 100). - The tolerance band (the deviation from the specified value) is next, usually spaced away from the others, or it's a little bit wider. A color is assigned to each tolerance: gold is 5%, silver is 10%. 20% resistors have only 3 color bands - the tolerance band is missing.
The standard resistor color code table:
| Color | 1st digit | 2nd digit | 3rd digit* | Multiplier | Tolerance | Temp. Coef. | Fail Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 0 | 0 | 0 | x100 | |||
| Brown | 1 | 1 | 1 | x101 | ±1% (F) | 100 ppm/K | 1% |
| Red | 2 | 2 | 2 | x102 | ±2% (G) | 50 ppm/K | 0.1% |
| Orange | 3 | 3 | 3 | x103 | 15 ppm/K | 0.01% | |
| Yellow | 4 | 4 | 4 | x104 | 25 ppm/K | 0.001% | |
| Green | 5 | 5 | 5 | x105 | ±0.5% (D) | ||
| Blue | 6 | 6 | 6 | x106 | ±0.25%(C) | ||
| Violet | 7 | 7 | 7 | x107 | ±0.1% (B) | ||
| Gray | 8 | 8 | 8 | x108 | ±0.05%(A) | ||
| White | 9 | 9 | 9 | x109 | |||
| Gold | x0.1 | ±5% (J) | |||||
| Silver | x0.01 | ±10% (K) | |||||
| None | ±20% (M) |
* 3rd digit - only for 5-band resistors
So, for a 560 ohm, 5% resistor the color stripes will be green, blue, brown and gold. Green and blue are the first significant digits (56); brown is the multiplier (101 = 10) and gold is the tolerance (5%). 56 x 10 = 560Ω.
If the 3rd band would be red instead of brown, the multiplier would be (102 = 100) instead of 10 and the resistor value would be 56 x 100 = 5600 ohms = 5.6 k ohms.
If the multiplier band is gold or silver, then the decimal point is moved to the left one or two places (divided by 10 or 100). For example, a resistor with green, blue, silver and gold rings has a value of 56 x 0.01 = 0.56Ω.
The 5-band code
The 5 band code is used for marking high quality, precision resistors with 2%, 1% or lower tolerances. The rules are similar to the previous system; the only difference is the number of digit bands. The first 3 bands will represent the value, the 4th band will be the multiplier and the 5th stripe will give us the tolerance.
Optional band
A few resistors have an additional band - often giving beginners a bit of trouble - indicating either the reliability or the temperature coefficient.
The reliability band specifies the failure rate per 1000 hours (assuming that a full wattage being applied to the resistor). This stripe is found primarily on 4-band resistors made for military applications and seldom used in commercial electronics.
The temperature coefficient is more commonly marked, especially on quality 5-band resistors, as it starts to become an important factor for precision components. For a resistor with temperature coefficient of 200 ppm, for example, a change in temperature of 50°C causes a value change of 1%. The most common values for this band are presented in the color chart above.
Examples:
Four band code:
Green, blue, red, with silver tolerance band: 56 x 100 = 5.6 kohms, with a tolerance of 10%
Brown, black, orange, gold tolerance band: 10 x 1000 = 10000 ohms (or 10K ohms), with a tolerance of 5%
Red, red, brown, silver tolerance band: 22 x 10 = 220 ohms (220 ohms), with a tolerance of 10%
More 4 band resistor color code examples: E12 and E24 series.
Five band code:
Blue, brown, white, brown, red tolerance band: 619 x 10 = 6190 ohms (6.19K ohms), with a tolerance of 2%
Red, red, brown, black, with a brown tolerance band: 221 x 1 = 221 ohms, with a tolerance of 1%
Brown, black, black, red, with a brown tolerance band: 100 x 100 = 10000 ohms (10.0K), with a tolerance of 1%
Resistor Color Code Mnemonic
Standard EIA Decade Resistor Values
Resistors are available in standard values such as 1K, 2.2K, 4.7K, and so on. The two most common standards are the E12 and E24. You will notice that in the E12 series each succeeding value falls within +/- 10% of the previous value. The E24 range includes all of the E12 values, plus a further 12 to enable the selection of more precise resistances.
The E6 (20%) range is a subset of the E12 (10%) range and the E12 range is a subset of the E24 (5%) range. Similarly, the E48 (2%) range is a subset of the E96 (1%) range and the E96 range is a subset of the E192 (0.5% or less) range. Note, that the E24 range is technically also a subset of the E48 range, however, because of the different number of digits used for representation and rounding errors, the corresponding values in the two series do not match.
E6 series: (20% tolerance)
10, 15, 22, 33, 47, 68
E12 series: (10% tolerance) - examples...
10, 12, 15, 18, 22, 27, 33, 39, 47, 56, 68, 82
E24 series: (5% tolerance) - examples...
10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36, 39, 43, 47, 51, 56, 62, 68, 75, 82, 91
E48 series: (2% tolerance) - examples...
100, 105, 110, 115, 121, 127, 133, 140, 147, 154, 162, 169, 178, 187, 196, 205, 215, 226, 237, 249, 261, 274, 287, 301, 316, 332, 348, 365, 383, 402, 422, 442, 464, 487, 511, 536, 562, 590, 619, 649, 681, 715, 750, 787, 825, 866, 909, 953
E96 series: (1% tolerance)
100, 102, 105, 107, 110, 113, 115, 118, 121, 124, 127, 130, 133, 137, 140, 143, 147, 150, 154, 158, 162, 165, 169, 174, 178, 182, 187, 191, 196, 200, 205, 210, 215, 221, 226, 232, 237, 243, 249, 255, 261, 267, 274, 280, 287, 294, 301, 309, 316, 324, 332, 340, 348, 357, 365, 374, 383, 392, 402, 412, 422, 432, 442, 453, 464, 475, 487, 491, 511, 523, 536, 549, 562, 576, 590, 604, 619, 634, 649, 665, 681, 698, 715, 732, 750, 768, 787, 806, 825, 845, 866, 887, 909, 931, 959, 976
Final thoughts
Resistor Color Code Acronym
So, why all this trouble with color coding? The resistance value could be stamped or painted on the body of the through-hole resistor, no?
Resistor Color Code Saying
Yes, but the numbers would be quite small and difficult to read. If such a resistor is mounted with the marked side down, you cannot read its value unless you take it out of the circuit. Also, the markings would easily rub off or become smeared with time.
The resistor color code might seem a bit confusing and rather inconvenient at first, but most electronics hobbyists and technicians are surprised when they realize how quickly they've memorized the color chart without the use of mnemonics or other silly shortcuts.
The color code is quite intuitive, and after a brief familiarization period, instantly recognizing resistor values will come as second nature.