5.6 kΩ resistor color code
A 5.6 kΩ resistor is Green, Blue, Red, Gold: 56 × 100 = 5,600 Ω, ±5%, so anything from 5.32 to 5.88 kΩ is in spec.
56 × 100 = 5,600 Ω = 5.6 kΩ
5-band version
Green · Blue · Black · Brown · Brown = 5.6 kΩ ±1%
560 × 10 = 5,600 Ω = 5.6 kΩ. Range 5.544–5.656 kΩ (±1%).
Open the 5-band version
Where you'll meet it
A power light on a 12 V battery
A light that only says the power is on does not need to be bright. A 12 V battery, a red LED and a 5.6 kΩ resistor give a clear glow while drawing very little, so the light hardly touches the battery.
I = (12 V − 2.0 V) / 5.6 kΩ ≈ 1.8 mA
That is about a tenth of the 20 mA a standard LED is rated for. Modern LEDs glow clearly at this current, which is all a power light needs.
A blue or white LED drops about 3.0 V, so the same resistor gives (12 V − 3.0 V) / 5.6 kΩ ≈ 1.6 mA.
The resistor turns (1.8 mA)² × 5.6 kΩ ≈ 0.018 W into heat, so any ¼ W (0.25 W) part stays cool.
2.0 V and 20 mA are typical figures for a standard 5 mm red LED. Check your LED's datasheet: an old or low-efficiency LED can look dim at this gentle current. A 12 V battery reads more when full or on charge and less as it empties, so the current drifts a little with it. The LED's longer leg goes toward the battery's plus. If it stays dark, turn it round: 12 V backwards is more than the 5 V most LEDs are rated to block.
On SMD parts
Look for 562 or 5601
- 562562 = 56 × 10² = 5,600 Ω (3-digit code).
- 56015601 = 560 × 10¹ = 5,600 Ω (4-digit code, usually ±1% parts).
There is no EIA-96 code, because 5.6 kΩ is not an E96 value (the nearest E96 values are 5.49 kΩ and 5.62 kΩ).
Don't mix it up
Only band 3 changes
These four share Green, Blue and Gold. Red (×100) is 5.6 kΩ; brown is ten times less and orange ten times more.
560 Ωband 3 brown- 5.6 kΩband 3 redThis page
56 kΩband 3 orange
560 kΩband 3 yellow
Check it with a meter
Read 5.32–5.88 kΩ
- Take the resistor out of the circuit.
- Set the meter to Ω, range 20 kΩ (or auto).
- Touch one probe to each lead. Keep your fingers off the metal: your body is a resistor too.
- Anything from 5.32 to 5.88 kΩ is a good ±5% part. A 5-band ±1% part should read 5.544 to 5.656 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 5.6 kΩ in a pile?
Practise reading it, and its look-alikes, in the resistor challenge.
Try the resistor challenge5.6 kΩ resistor FAQ
What resistor do I need for an LED on 12 V?
It depends on how bright it must be. For a power light, 5.6 kΩ with a typical red LED (about 2.0 V) gives (12 V − 2.0 V) / 5.6 kΩ ≈ 1.8 mA: a clear glow that barely uses the battery. For a bright light, 1 kΩ gives (12 V − 2.0 V) / 1 kΩ = 10 mA, still under the 20 mA most standard LEDs are rated for.
What is the SMD code for a 5.6 kΩ resistor?
562 on 3-digit parts (56 × 10²) and 5601 on 4-digit parts (560 × 10¹). There is no EIA-96 code, because 5.6 kΩ is not an E96 value.
What are the 5-band colors for 5.6 kΩ?
Green, Blue, Black, Brown, Brown: 560 × 10 = 5.6 kΩ with ±1% tolerance, so 5.544 to 5.656 kΩ.
What does 5k6 mean?
5k6 is another way to write 5.6 kΩ. The k sits where the decimal point would be, so the point cannot get lost in small print or on a schematic. You will also see it written as 5.6k or 5K6.
Bands, ranges and codes come from the same engine as the calculator. Last reviewed .