Wirecora resistor guide
How to Read a 5-Band Resistor Color Code
Decode a 5-band resistor using three significant digits, its multiplier, and tolerance, with guidance for precise resistance values.
Direct answer: A 5-band resistor has three significant-digit bands followed by a multiplier and a tolerance band. The extra digit allows more precise nominal values than the two-digit 4-band format.
Band-by-band explanation
- Band 1 · First digitBrown
- Band 2 · Second digitBlack
- Band 3 · Third digitBlack
- Band 4 · MultiplierRed
- Band 5 · ToleranceBrown
The Brown tolerance band is read at the right-hand end.
How it works
- Find the separated tolerance band and read from the opposite end when the physical spacing is unambiguous.
- Combine bands one, two, and three into a three-digit significant number.
- Apply band four as the multiplier and band five as the percentage tolerance.
Practical example
Brown, Black, Black, Red, Brown represents 100 × 100 with ±1% tolerance. That is a 10 kΩ resistor whose expected range is 9.9 kΩ to 10.1 kΩ.
Common mistakes
Check these points before relying on a color-code reading or component substitution.
Do not apply the third color as the multiplier; in a 5-band code it is still a significant digit.
Do not assume every five-band part is automatically ±1%; always decode the actual tolerance color.
Related resistor values
Open a worked color-code page generated from the same resistor engine as the calculator.
Related guides
How to Read a 4-Band Resistor Color Code
Read a 4-band resistor by identifying its first two digits, multiplier, and tolerance, with a complete 220 ohm worked example.
How to Read a 6-Band Resistor Color Code
Understand all six resistor bands: three significant digits, multiplier, tolerance, and temperature coefficient in parts per million per kelvin.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to questions that commonly arise with this resistor topic.
Why do 5-band resistors use three digits?
Three significant digits distinguish values that cannot be expressed exactly with the two-digit 4-band format.
Can a 5-band resistor have a 5% tolerance?
Yes. Five bands describe the code structure, not a guaranteed tolerance; the fifth color supplies the tolerance value.
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