Resistor Color Code

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...or for those who are in the UK or other parts of the civilized world, colour code :-)

Well...there are some really stupid mnemonics you can memorize...bad boys...our young girls...etc, or bad beer...blah, blah... or you can just do yourself a huge favor and memorize them. Nobody, (especially if they are paying you by the hour) is going to think it's cute to hear you recite the poems every time you need a part from the bin. (Other components use color codes as well.)

Besides, it takes too long to go through the whole thing EVERY time you look at a color (3 or more bands.) So just start by writing it down...black is 0, Brown is 1, etc...that's 2 inputs to your brain (seeing and thinking to write it).

Then read it back aloud. This gives you 3 more inputs, seeing (again,)saying it and hearing it. Also, do it the other way around, 2 is red, 3 is orange, etc. Trust me. In no time you'll know them and people won't look at you like you're a 5-year-old who has to sing the "ABC" song to learn the alphabet.

Here is a chart of the resistor color code:

Also, the blue colored resistors are made of a fire-resistant material. These are often found in automotive circuits.

For instance:

red (2)-red (2)-black (0) = 22 ohms

yellow (4)-violet (7)-orange (3)= 47,000 ohms, written as 47k, or in the UK, 4k7.

I buy most of my electronics parts from JAMECO Electronics   (I also buy from Digikey, and Mouser, but don't I have links to paste in yet) Jameco is geographically close (a few hundred miles) and my UPS orders always arrive the next business day without having to pay for next-day service.

They ship the same day if you order before noon Pacific time. Click the picture below or the link above and it will open in a new window so you don't have to leave my site to buy your parts.

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Resistor Color Code