#Color Coding Of Carbon Resistance:

To know the value of carbon resistance, color code is used. These codes are printed in
the form of set of rings or strips. By reading the values of color bands, we can estimate the value of
resistance.
The carbon resistance has normally four colored rings or bands (say A, B, C & D) as
shown.

 Colored Bands A & B: They indicate the first two significant figures of resistance in ohm.
 Band C: It indicates the decimal multiplier i.e., the number of zeroes that follows the two
significant figures A & B.
 Band D: It indicates the tolerance in percent about the indicated value or in other words it
represents the variation in percentage about the indicated value.
Tolerance in the case of gold color is  5% and in
Silver is  10% .
note: If only three bands are marked on carbon resistance, then it indicates a tolerance
of  20% .
**
Finally, value of resistance is R  AB  C  D% (Remember)
where D is tolerance
 Table of color code for carbon resistance :

Figure Multiplier
Letters as an aid to memory Color
(A & B) (C)
B Black 0 100
B Brown 1 101
R Red 2 102
O Orange 3 103
Y Yellow 4 104
G Green 5 105
B Blue 6 106
V Violet 7 107
G Grey 8 108
W White 9 109

Trick to remember: B B ROY of Great Britain has Very Good Wife.

Note: Carbon resistor is compact, inexpensive, relatively insensitive to temperature & mostly
used for higher resistor values.
Que. The color sequence in a carbon resistor is red, brown, orange and silver. The resistance of the
resistor is-
(a) 21103  10% (b) 21101  10% (c) 21103  5% (d) 12 103  5%