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270 Ω resistor color code

A 270 Ω resistor is Red, Violet, Brown, Gold: 27 × 10 = 270 Ω, ±5%, so anything from 256.5 to 283.5 Ω is in spec.

  1. Red
  2. Violet
  3. Brown
  4. Gold

270 Ω±5%

Range 256.5–283.5 Ω

Open in calculator
270 ohm resistor: red, violet, brown and gold bands

27 × 10 = 270 Ω

5-band version

Red · Violet · Black · Black · Brown = 270 Ω ±1%

270 × 1 = 270 Ω. Range 267.3–272.7 Ω (±1%).

Open the 5-band version
270 ohm resistor: red, violet, black, black and brown bands

Where you'll meet it

A status LED on an Arduino Uno

270 Ω is the standard value between 220 Ω and 330 Ω. On a 5 V Arduino pin it gives a red LED a clear glow with a little less current than 220 Ω. Here pin D12 drives a red LED through 270 Ω to ground.

Schematic: A status LED on an Arduino UnoArduino pin D12 at 5 V connects through a 270 Ω resistor to the anode of a red LED. The LED's cathode connects to GND, the Arduino's ground.D12 · 5 V270 Ωred LEDGND

I = (5 V − 2.0 V) / 270 Ω ≈ 11.1 mA

That is bright and well under the 20 mA a pin should give (40 mA is the absolute maximum on an Arduino Uno).

From a 3.3 V board the same resistor gives (3.3 V − 2.0 V) / 270 Ω ≈ 4.8 mA: dimmer, still visible.

A blue or white LED drops about 3.0 V, so on 5 V it gets (5 V − 3.0 V) / 270 Ω ≈ 7.4 mA.

The resistor turns (11.1 mA)² × 270 Ω ≈ 0.033 W into heat, so a normal ¼ W (0.25 W) part is fine.

2.0 V is a typical red LED forward voltage. Check your LED's datasheet. The pin voltage also sags a little under load, so the real current is slightly lower.

On SMD parts

Look for 271 or 2700

  • 271271 = 27 × 10¹ = 270 Ω (3-digit code).
  • 27002700 = 270 × 10⁰ = 270 Ω (4-digit code, usually ±1% parts).

There is no EIA-96 code, because 270 Ω is not an E96 value (the nearest E96 values are 267 Ω and 274 Ω). A part marked 270 is 27 Ω, not 270 Ω.

Don't mix it up

Only band 3 changes

These four share Red, Violet and Gold. Brown (×10) is 270 Ω; black is ten times less and red ten times more.

  • 27 ohm resistor: red, violet, black and gold bands27 Ωband 3 black
  • 270 ohm resistor: red, violet, brown and gold bands270 Ωband 3 brownThis page
  • 2.7 kilohm resistor: red, violet, red and gold bands2.7 kΩband 3 red
  • 27 kilohm resistor: red, violet, orange and gold bands27 kΩband 3 orange

Check it with a meter

Read 256.5–283.5 Ω

  1. Take the resistor out of the circuit.
  2. Set the meter to Ω, range 2 kΩ (or auto).
  3. Touch one probe to each lead. Keep your fingers off the metal: your body is a resistor too.
  4. Anything from 256.5 to 283.5 Ω is a good ±5% part. A 5-band ±1% part should read 267.3 to 272.7 Ω.

A meter has a small error of its own, so a reading a hair outside the range does not prove the part is bad. Measure again with firm contact before you swap it.

Spot it

Can you find 270 Ω in a pile?

Practise reading it, and its look-alikes, in the resistor challenge.

Try the resistor challenge

270 Ω resistor FAQ

Is 270 Ω OK for an LED on 5 V?

Yes. With a typical red LED (about 2.0 V) it gives (5 V − 2.0 V) / 270 Ω ≈ 11.1 mA: clearly bright, and well inside the 20 mA an Arduino Uno pin should supply. A blue or white LED (about 3.0 V) gets about 7.4 mA from it. If you only have 220 Ω or 330 Ω, either works too.

What is the SMD code for a 270 Ω resistor?

271 on 3-digit parts (27 × 10¹) and 2700 on 4-digit parts (270 × 10⁰). There is no EIA-96 code, because 270 Ω is not an E96 value.

What are the 5-band colors for 270 Ω?

Red, Violet, Black, Black, Brown: 270 × 1 = 270 Ω with ±1% tolerance, so 267.3 to 272.7 Ω.

How do I tell 270 Ω from 2.7 kΩ?

Only the third band differs: brown (×10) on 270 Ω, red (×100) on 2.7 kΩ. Brown and red can look alike in poor light, so measure if you are unsure: 270 Ω reads 256.5 to 283.5 Ω, 2.7 kΩ reads 2.565 to 2.835 kΩ.

Bands, ranges and codes come from the same engine as the calculator. Last reviewed .