A 5 band resistor uses the first three bands for significant digits, the fourth band for the multiplier, and the fifth band for tolerance. These are typically 1% (or tighter) metal film resistors used in precision analog circuits, feedback loops, and current sensing. Unlike 4-band carbon film resistors, the extra digit band allows for exact values like 4.7kΩ or 330Ω without rounding.
The Complete 5 Band Resistor Color Code Reference Table
The table below maps every color to its corresponding digit, multiplier, and tolerance value according to the global IEC 60062 standard. Read the bands left-to-right, starting from the band closest to the edge. The tolerance band (usually brown, red, or gold) is often spaced slightly wider or separated by a small gap.
| Color | Digit 1 | Digit 2 | Digit 3 | Multiplier | Tolerance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 0 | 0 | 0 | ×1 (10⁰) | — |
| Brown | 1 | 1 | 1 | ×10 (10¹) | ±1% (F) |
| Red | 2 | 2 | 2 | ×100 (10²) | ±2% (G) |
| Orange | 3 | 3 | 3 | ×1k (10³) | — |
| Yellow | 4 | 4 | 4 | ×10k (10⁴) | — |
| Green | 5 | 5 | 5 | ×100k (10⁵) | ±0.5% (D) |
| Blue | 6 | 6 | 6 | ×1M (10⁶) | ±0.25% (C) |
| Violet | 7 | 7 | 7 | ×10M (10⁷) | ±0.1% (B) |
| Gray | 8 | 8 | 8 | — | ±0.05% (A) |
| White | 9 | 9 | 9 | — | — |
| Gold | — | — | — | ×0.1 (10⁻¹) | ±5% (J) |
| Silver | — | — | — | ×0.01 (10⁻²) | ±10% (K) |
Worked Example: A resistor with bands Orange-Orange-Black-Black-Brown.
Digit 1 (Orange) = 3
Digit 2 (Orange) = 3
Digit 3 (Black) = 0
Multiplier (Black) = ×1
Tolerance (Brown) = ±1%
Result: 330 × 1 = 330Ω at 1% tolerance.
Decoding the Standard: IEC 60062 vs. Legacy Specs
A common point of confusion for beginners transitioning from home wiring to electronics is the assumption that resistor colors vary by region, much like AC wire colors (where the US uses NEC black/white/green, and the EU uses IEC 60446 brown/blue/yellow-green). Resistor color codes do not have regional variants. They are universally governed by the IEC 60062 standard globally.
Historically, you may encounter older military-specification resistors (like the MIL-R-10509 or MIL-R-22684 series) in surplus gear or vintage Ham radio equipment. These used the exact same color-to-number mapping but sometimes employed a 4-band system with a reliability band (indicating failure rate per 1,000 hours) instead of a standard tolerance band. Today, virtually all commercial 5-band resistors you buy from distributors like Mouser or Digi-Key—whether they are Vishay Dale RN55 metal film or Xicor precision foil—strictly adhere to the modern IEC 60062:2016 mapping shown in the table above.
The 'Rows People Get Wrong' Field Guide
Even experienced technicians misread 5-band resistors on the bench. Here are the specific rows and scenarios that cause the most errors, and how to avoid them.
1. Red vs. Brown Under Bench Lighting
Under standard warm-white (2700K-3000K) LED or fluorescent workshop lighting, the red and brown bands look nearly identical. A 220Ω resistor (Red-Red-Black-Black-Brown) can easily be misread as a 120Ω resistor (Brown-Red-Black-Black-Brown) if the lighting is poor. The Fix: Equip your soldering station with a 5000K daylight-balanced lamp with a CRI (Color Rendering Index) of 90+. This renders the deep crimson of the red band and the earthy tone of the brown band distinctly.
2. The Gold Multiplier Trap (Sub-1 Ohm Resistors)
Most hobbyists know gold means 5% tolerance. However, in a 5-band resistor, gold can also appear in the multiplier position (Band 4) to indicate a decimal multiplier of ×0.1. For example, a current shunt resistor reading Brown-Black-Black-Gold-Brown is not 100Ω. It is 100 × 0.1 = 10Ω. If the bands were Brown-Black-Black-Silver-Brown, it would be 100 × 0.01 = 1Ω. Always check if the gold/silver band is in the 4th or 5th position.
3. 4-Band vs. 5-Band Misidentification
Some 4-band resistors (especially older carbon composition types) have a very wide first band or a thick body that creates an optical illusion of a 5th band. If the '5th band' is the exact same color as the body coating, it's likely just a 4-band resistor. When in doubt, count the physical gaps between the painted bands.
Safe Interpretation When Markings Are Faded or Burnt
When a resistor overheats, the epoxy coating blisters, and the color bands turn a uniform, unreadable charcoal black. Never guess the value of a burnt resistor based on its physical size alone; a 1/4W and 1/2W resistor can have the exact same dimensions depending on the manufacturer's lead spacing and coating thickness.
Follow this bench procedure to safely identify a faded or damaged 5-band resistor:
- Isolate the Component: Desolder at least one leg of the resistor from the PCB. Measuring a resistor in-circuit will yield false low readings due to parallel current paths through other components (like IC pins or bypass capacitors).
- Null Your Leads: If you suspect it is a low-value shunt resistor (under 10Ω), short your multimeter probes together and press the 'REL' (Relative) button to zero out the 0.2Ω to 0.5Ω resistance of your test leads.
- Measure and Cross-Reference: Measure the resistance. If your DMM reads 'OL' (Open Loop), the internal resistive film has vaporized. You cannot measure a blown resistor.
- Deduce from Context: If the resistor is blown open, look at the circuit topology. A resistor connecting a microcontroller GPIO to a 2N2222 transistor base is almost certainly between 1kΩ and 10kΩ. A resistor in series with an LED on a 5V rail is likely 220Ω to 330Ω. Consult the service manual or trace the schematic to confirm before installing a replacement.
For further reading on component identification and standard values, refer to the SparkFun Resistor Tutorial or the comprehensive All About Circuits reference guide. Always verify your visual color code reads with a digital multimeter before soldering precision 1% components into high-gain analog feedback loops, where a single misread band can cause circuit oscillation.
