27 kΩ resistor color code
A 27 kΩ resistor is Red, Violet, Orange, Gold: 27 × 1,000 = 27,000 Ω, ±5%, so anything from 25.65 to 28.35 kΩ is in spec.
27 × 1,000 = 27,000 Ω = 27 kΩ
5-band version
Red · Violet · Black · Red · Brown = 27 kΩ ±1%
270 × 100 = 27,000 Ω = 27 kΩ. Range 26.73–27.27 kΩ (±1%).
Open the 5-band version
Where you'll meet it
Reading a 2S LiPo pack on an ESP32
A 2S LiPo pack (two cells in series) is 7.4 V, and 8.4 V when full, but an ESP32's analog pins must stay at or below 3.3 V. A 27 kΩ resistor from the pack's plus to GPIO34 and a 10 kΩ resistor from GPIO34 to ground scale it down.
V_out = 7.4 V × 10 kΩ / (27 kΩ + 10 kΩ) = 2.0 V
A full pack gives 8.4 V × 10 kΩ / 37 kΩ ≈ 2.27 V, still well under 3.3 V. In the sketch, multiply the voltage you read by 3.7.
The pair draws 7.4 V / 37 kΩ = 0.2 mA from the pack for as long as it is connected.
The 27 kΩ resistor turns 5.4 V × 0.2 mA ≈ 0.001 W into heat, so any size will do.
At the setting the Arduino core uses by default, Espressif suggests keeping an ESP32 analog input under about 2.45 V; this divider keeps even a full pack near 2.27 V. Use an ADC1 pin such as GPIO34: the ADC2 pins stop working while Wi-Fi is on. The pack's minus must connect to the ESP32's GND. Resistor tolerances and the ESP32's own error shift the reading by a few percent, so calibrate it against a meter.
On SMD parts
Look for 273 or 2702
- 273273 = 27 × 10³ = 27,000 Ω (3-digit code).
- 27022702 = 270 × 10² = 27,000 Ω (4-digit code, usually ±1% parts).
There is no EIA-96 code, because 27 kΩ is not an E96 value (the nearest E96 values are 26.7 kΩ and 27.4 kΩ).
Don't mix it up
Only band 3 changes
These four share Red, Violet and Gold. Orange (×1,000) is 27 kΩ; red is ten times less and yellow ten times more.
2.7 kΩband 3 red- 27 kΩband 3 orangeThis page
270 kΩband 3 yellow
2.7 MΩband 3 green
Check it with a meter
Read 25.65–28.35 kΩ
- Take the resistor out of the circuit.
- Set the meter to Ω, range 200 kΩ (or auto).
- Touch one probe to each lead. Keep your fingers off the metal: your body is a resistor too.
- Anything from 25.65 to 28.35 kΩ is a good ±5% part. A 5-band ±1% part should read 26.73 to 27.27 kΩ.
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 27 kΩ in a pile?
Practise reading it, and its look-alikes, in the resistor challenge.
Try the resistor challenge27 kΩ resistor FAQ
How do I read a 2S LiPo voltage with an ESP32?
Scale it down with two resistors: 27 kΩ from the pack's plus to an ADC1 pin such as GPIO34, and 10 kΩ from that pin to ground. 7.4 V then becomes 7.4 V × 10 kΩ / 37 kΩ = 2.0 V, and a full 8.4 V pack about 2.27 V. In the sketch, multiply the voltage you read by 3.7.
What is the SMD code for a 27 kΩ resistor?
273 on 3-digit parts (27 × 10³) and 2702 on 4-digit parts (270 × 10²). There is no EIA-96 code, because 27 kΩ is not an E96 value.
What are the 5-band colors for 27 kΩ?
Red, Violet, Black, Red, Brown: 270 × 100 = 27 kΩ with ±1% tolerance, so 26.73 to 27.27 kΩ.
Which end of a 27 kΩ resistor do I read from?
Start at the end away from the gold band: Red, Violet, Orange, Gold. Read the other way round it would start with gold, and gold is never a first band, so there is only one right way. On most parts the gap before the gold band is also a little wider.
Bands, ranges and codes come from the same engine as the calculator. Last reviewed .