ENGZ0002 ENGINEERING

APPLICATIONS
Resistance Measuring Experiment
P17176766
Anna strzelecka
14/11/2017
 Objective: To learn what the colours on the resistors mean, the resistance
colour code, and how that information can be used to calculate
the resistance and the tolerances of resistors.

To calculate the resistance of resistors using a digital Multi-

meter and an LCR data bridge, and to compare these readings
to the resistance calculations using the colour codes.

Apparatus: Figure 1. Resistors

Figure 2. Digital-Multi-meter
Figure 3. LCR Data Bridge.

Figure 1. Digital Multimeter

Figure 2. Resistors
 Figure 3. LCR Data-bridge

Colour Code:
Black 0
Brown 1
Red 2
Orange 3
Yellow 4
Green 5
Blue 6
Violet 7
Grey 8
White 9

Tolerances
Silver 10%
Gold 5%
Red 2%
Brown 1%

Method:

1. Using the pre-set colour codes above, the resistance of each resistor was
calculated and the value was written in the first column of the results table.
 2. A results table was set up with the colour codes of the different
resistors being measured on different rows.
3. The last colour on the resistor stands for the tolerance of the resistor,
this was measured as a percentage and recorded in the third column
of the results table.
4. Using the tolerance value, a maximum and minimum resistance value
was calculated for the resistor.
5. The resistors were then connected to a digital multi-meter using circuit
wires and crocodile clips, a resistance value shown by the multi-meter was
then recorded.
6. Finally, each resistor was put in the LCR Data-Bridge and the reading
was recorded in the final column.

Results Table
Colour Resistance Tolerance Minimum Maximum Reading Reading
Code based on value value From DMM from Data
colour bridge
code value
Red, 27 ±5% 1.35 25.65 28.35
violet,
black,
gold

Green, 56 ±5% 53.2 58.8 56 55.9

Blue,
Black,
Gold

Brown, 15 ±5% 14.25 15.75 15 14.95

Green,
Black,  
Gold

Yellow 4700 ±10% 4230 5170 5160 5176

Violet,
Red,  
silver

Orange, 30 ±2% 29.4 30.6 30.2 30.1

Black,
Black,
Red
 Green, 5.1M ±5% 4.85M 9.95M 4.68 4.68M
Brown,
Green,    
Gold

Red, 270 ±5% 256.5 283.5 283.5 273.6

Violet,
Brown,   
Gold
Green, 51 ±5% 48.45 53.55 53.55 51.8
Brown,
Black,  
Gold

Red, 27 ±2% 26.46 27.54 27.54 27.18

Violet,
Black,   
Red

Orange, 39 ±5% 37.5 40.95 40.95 39.36

White,
Black,   
Gold

Yellow, 47 ±5% 44.65 49.35 49.35 46.6

Violet
Black,  
Gold

Table 1. Table of results

There are possible errors that can occur when calculating resistance, either by using
the colour code or multi-meters:
 The age of the resistor might affect the resistance value obtained, the older
the resistance, the higher the chance of an error in reading.
 During the printing of the colours unto the resistor, errors in the factory might
mean the wrong colour order is printed.

Types of Resistors.

There are three types of resistors, fixed resistors, Variable resistors and special
resistors (Thermistors and LDR’s).

Fixed Resistors. [1]

A fixed resistor is a resistor which has a specific set value of resistance, which
cannot be changed. There are several types of fixed resistors,

Carbon film resistors are made of carbon dust and have low wattage values, they are
the general purpose, cheap and used in most electronic circuits, they usually also
have a tolerance of ±5%. The disadvantages of Carbon film resistors are that they
can be very noisy.
Metal Film resistors are made from conductive metal oxide paste and have very low
wattage values, they are used when a more accurate resistor value is required.
Metal film resistors have a tolerance value of about ±0.05%.

Wire wound resistors are made from metal resistance wire and can be made to an
exact resistor value. They cannot be used for high frequency circuits.

Variable Resistors. [1]

Variable resistors are resistors whose resistor value can be changed, there are also
semi-fixed conductors, these cannot be adjusted by anyone but a technician to
adjust the operating conditions of a circuit.

Thermistors. [2]
Thermistors are resistors who changes resistance as the temperature changes. The
resistance decreases as temperature increases. They are used in temperature
sensing circuits.

Light-Dependent resistors (LDR’S). [2]

LDR’S are resistors whose resistance change as light level changes, there are
photo-sensitive plates on the resistors which can detect light levels. Their resistance
decreases as light increases. They are used in light-detection circuits like outside
lights.
Advantages of Digital Multi-meters [3]

1. Unlike analogue multi-meters, Digital multi-meters have a display, which

makes it easier to read the values on them, it also means they can read
negative values.
2. Some multi-meters can store readings for later processing.
3. Unlike LCR Data bridges, multi-meters can also read current and voltage.

Disadvantages of Digital Multi-meters. [3]

1. The display on the multi-meter relies on an external battery, which means if

the battery power gets lower, the display can become dimmer and make it
harder to read values.
2. Unlike Data bridges, digital multi-meters require external wiring and crocodile
clips to connect resistors, external wires add more resistance.
3. When the multi-meter is used for long periods of time, it might get hotter, this
can lead to error in data.

Advantages of LCR Data bridges.

1. Does not require any external wiring to connect resistors, there is an opening
which allows you to just place the resistors in.
2. LCR’s are more sensitive, which makes them more accurate.
3. They can also measure capacitance and inductance.
Disadvantages of LCR Data bridges.

1. Unlike Digital multi-meters, you cannot choose which unit you want to
measure the resistance in, but it shows you which unit it’s being measured in.
2. The sensitivity of data bridges also mean results could be affected by external
temperatures.
3. It’s more expensive compared to a digital multi-meter.

I prefer the LCR Data bridge because it was easier to use when measuring the
resistance of the resistors, it didn’t require and external wires or crocodile clip, you
can just insert it into the slot. The Data bridge can also measure a higher resistance
than the Digital Multi-meter, on the multi-meter, one of the resistors produced a faulty
reading due to its high resistance but the Data bridge had no problem measuring it.

Reading the colour code of a five-band resistor.

In a five-band resistor, the first colour is always the first digit, the second colour is the
second digit, the third colour is the third digit, the fourth colour is the multiplier and
the final colour is the tolerance.

Figure 3. 5 band resistor, example 1.

In the example above, the first colour is black, which makes the first digit 0, the
second colour is blue, which makes the second digit 6, the third colour is green, so
the third digit is 5, the fourth colour is red, making the multiplier x10^2, the final
colour is blue, so the tolerance of the resistor is ±6. All together making the
resistance of the resistor 065x10^2Ω ±6= 6500Ω±6%. You can then calculate the
maximum and minimum value of the resistor, in this case the maximum will be
6890Ω and the minimum will be 6110Ω.
 Figure 4. 5 Band resistor, example 2

In the second example above, the first digit of the resistor will be 2, the second digit
will be 5, the third digit will be 6, the multiplier will be x10^0 and the tolerance will be
±2, so the resistance will be 256x10^0Ω ±= 256Ω ±2%, the maximum will be 261.1Ω
and the minimum will be 250.9Ω.

In addition to 4 and 5 band resistors, you can also have 6 band resistors, which
takes into account the temperature co-efficient of resistance (TCR), the picture below
is an example of a 6-band resistor.

Figure 5. Six band resistor

In the six-band resistor example above, the first digit of the resistor will be 6, the
second digit will be 2, the third digit will be 0, the multiplier will be x10^5, the
tolerance will be ±6, and the TCR will be 50ppm, so the resistance will be
620x10^5Ω ±6= 62MΩ ±6% 50ppm, the maximum will be 65.72MΩ 50ppm and the
minimum will be 58.28MΩ 50ppm.
The temperature co-efficient of resistance is the rate at which the resistance of the
resistor changes with change in temperature, the higher the temperature, the lower
the resistance. [4] Below is the colour code of a six-band resistor.

Figure 6. Six Band resistor colour code [4]

Conclusion.
The aim of the experiment was to learn the colour codes of resistors, to learn how
these colour codes could be used to calculate resistance and to calculate the
resistance of ten resistors. The resistance of these resistors was then calculated
using a multi-meter and an LCR data bridge, the results from these machines are
then compared to each other and then to the colour code calculation for accuracy.
The results collected concluded that the resistance calculated based on colour code
were very close if not the same to the resistance calculated using the Multi-meter
and the LCR Data bridge. The different types of resistors available was researched
and It was concluded there are three categories of resistors, fixed, variable and
special. Within the fixed resistor category, there are carbon type resistors, film type
resistors and wire wound resistors. Special resistors include thermistors
(temperature dependent) and Light Dependent Resistors (LDR’S). I then drew up
two examples of a 5-band resistor and a 6-band resistor, I then used the colour code
to calculate the resistance. In the first 5-band example, the calculated resistance was
6500Ω±6%, in the second 5-band example, the calculated resistance was 256Ω
±2%. In the 6-band resistor example, the calculated resistance was 62MΩ ±6%
50ppm. The final band in the 6-band resistor stands for the Temperature co-efficient
Resistance (TCR).
Bibliography.

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