Resistor Color Code

This interactive simulator explores Resistor Color Code in Electricity & Magnetism. Click bands to see resistance, or enter value to see bands. Use the controls to change the scenario; watch the visualization and any graphs or readouts to connect the model with lectures, labs, and homework.

Who it's for: Suited to beginners and first exposure to the topic. Typical context: Electricity & Magnetism.

Key terms

  • resistor
  • color
  • code
  • resistor color code
  • electricity
  • magnetism

Interactive bands

Leads (silver) — tan body — four bands

How it works

Four-band resistors encode two significant digits, a decimal multiplier, and tolerance. Click each band to cycle colors, or enter a target resistance (supports k/M/G suffixes) to snap the bands to the nearest valid 4-band code.

Key equations

R = (10·d₁ + d₂) × 10^m   (m from multiplier color)