560 Ω resistor color code
A 560 Ω resistor is Green, Blue, Brown, Gold: 56 × 10 = 560 Ω, ±5%, so anything from 532 to 588 Ω is in spec.
56 × 10 = 560 Ω
5-band version
Green · Blue · Black · Black · Brown = 560 Ω ±1%
560 × 1 = 560 Ω. Range 554.4–565.6 Ω (±1%).
Open the 5-band version
Where you'll meet it
A relay switched by an Arduino pin
A small 5 V relay coil needs more current than a pin should give, so an NPN transistor (such as a BC337) switches it. The 560 Ω resistor sits between pin D7 and the base and sets how hard the transistor turns on. The coil sits between +5 V and the collector, and the emitter goes to ground.
I_B = (5 V − 0.7 V) / 560 Ω ≈ 7.7 mA
7.7 mA is easy for the pin, well under the 20 mA it should give.
For a switch that turns fully on, give the base about a tenth of the load current: 7.7 mA × 10 ≈ 77 mA, so loads up to about 70 mA, such as a small 5 V relay coil. A BC337 is rated 800 mA.
From a 3.3 V board: (3.3 V − 0.7 V) / 560 Ω ≈ 4.6 mA, good for loads up to about 46 mA: not enough for a 70 mA coil.
The resistor turns (7.7 mA)² × 560 Ω ≈ 0.033 W into heat, so a ¼ W part is plenty.
0.7 V is the usual base-emitter estimate; a transistor switched fully on often drops 0.8 to 0.9 V, so the real base current is a little lower (about 7.3 to 7.5 mA), still enough. Check your transistor's datasheet. The relay coil needs a flyback diode across it (such as a 1N4007, its stripe toward +5 V): the drawing leaves it out to stay simple, but the real circuit must have it. Coil currents differ between relays, so check yours. Ready-made relay modules already carry the transistor, the resistor and the diode.
On SMD parts
Look for 561 or 5600
- 561561 = 56 × 10¹ = 560 Ω (3-digit code).
- 56005600 = 560 × 10⁰ = 560 Ω (4-digit code, usually ±1% parts).
There is no EIA-96 code, because 560 Ω is not an E96 value (the nearest E96 values are 549 Ω and 562 Ω). A part marked 560 is 56 Ω, not 560 Ω.
Don't mix it up
Only band 3 changes
These four share Green, Blue and Gold. Brown (×10) is 560 Ω; black is ten times less and red ten times more.
56 Ωband 3 black- 560 Ωband 3 brownThis page
5.6 kΩband 3 red
56 kΩband 3 orange
Check it with a meter
Read 532–588 Ω
- Take the resistor out of the circuit.
- Set the meter to Ω, range 2 kΩ (or auto).
- Touch one probe to each lead. Keep your fingers off the metal: your body is a resistor too.
- Anything from 532 to 588 Ω is a good ±5% part. A 5-band ±1% part should read 554.4 to 565.6 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 560 Ω in a pile?
Practise reading it, and its look-alikes, in the resistor challenge.
Try the resistor challenge560 Ω resistor FAQ
What base resistor do I need to switch a relay from an Arduino?
For a small 5 V relay whose coil draws up to about 70 mA, 560 Ω works with an NPN transistor such as a BC337: (5 V − 0.7 V) / 560 Ω ≈ 7.7 mA flows into the base, about a tenth of the coil current, so the transistor turns fully on. Always put a flyback diode across the coil.
What is the SMD code for a 560 Ω resistor?
561 on 3-digit parts (56 × 10¹) and 5600 on 4-digit parts (560 × 10⁰). There is no EIA-96 code, because 560 Ω is not an E96 value.
What are the 5-band colors for 560 Ω?
Green, Blue, Black, Black, Brown: 560 × 1 = 560 Ω with ±1% tolerance, so 554.4 to 565.6 Ω.
How do I tell 560 Ω from 5.6 kΩ?
Only the third band differs: brown (×10) on 560 Ω, red (×100) on 5.6 kΩ. Brown and red can look alike in poor light, so measure if you are unsure: 560 Ω reads 532 to 588 Ω, 5.6 kΩ reads 5.32 to 5.88 kΩ.
Bands, ranges and codes come from the same engine as the calculator. Last reviewed .