Resistors

As you know the resistor is an inevitable part of a circuit. It is meant for reducing the current and voltage in the circuit parts. Resistors are identified using the standard colour code chart. A simple trick can be used to identify the resistor value range. The third colour band on the body of the resistor represents the multiplier value. So by identifying the third colour, it easy to know the value in range.

Resistor color code and Ohm's Law.

So what about the resistor color code?

...or for those who are in the UK or other parts of the civilized (civilised) 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 will give 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:

 

What has been left out here (or at least it isn't obvious from the chart) is that on the 4 band type, (3 colors for the value and 1 for the tolerance), the third band is the number of zeroes. Most of what you will see will be the 4 band type.

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.