INSTITUTE OF INTEGRATED ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS OF THE PHILIPPINES, INC.

C OUN CI L OF ST UDE N T C HAPT E RS

C O L E G I O DE MUNTINLUPA

ELEN2101 | Electrical Circuits (Lab)

Laboratory Report

Experiment No. 2

Resistor Color Coding, Characteristics and Ratings

Submitted by:

SAFRAN, REESE ALEXIS C. | 20221040154

EE-2
Student

Submitted to:

ENGR. Andrew G. Bitancor

Professor
 INSTITUTE OF INTEGRATED ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS OF THE PHILIPPINES, INC.
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I. EXPT. NO.2: RESISTOR COLOR CODING, CHARACTERISTICS, ANO RATINGS

II. OBJECTIVES:
1. To be familiar with the color coding used on resistors.
2. To be familiar with the different sizes and ratings of resistors
3. To verify by experiments, the characteristics of resistors.

III. SUGGESTED READINGS:

• Topic on resistor characteristics and color coding

IV. REQUIRED SKILLS:

• Knowledge in the proper use of ohmmeter and the analog trainer.

V. MATERIALS REQUIRED:
Description Qty.
• 360TR-modeI analog multitester 1
• Analog Trainer (ATL-0l or equiv.) 1
• Color coded resistors: Assorted and 10
wattage
• Resistor ¼ watt:
200 Ω 1
270 Ω 1
1.2k Ω 1
10k Ω 1
56k Ω 1
• Resistor ½ watt:
1.2k Ω 1
• Connecting Wire 1 meter
• Breadboard 1

VI. PROCEDURE:
1. Get for 10 pieces of resistors of assorted values from your previous activity instructor and
write their respective color codes in Table-3.1 under the column "Color code".
2. Determine their respective resistances and tolerances by reading their respective color codes.
Record the results in Table-3.1 under the column "Coded value" and "Tolerance" respectively.
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3. Verify your results in step #2 by measuring the actual resistance of the given resistors by the
use of an ohmmeter. Record the results in Table-3.1 under the column "Measured value".

Resistor # Color Code Tolerance Measured Power

Coded (Value) Value Rating
Value

1st 2n 3rd 4th

d

4. Determine the power rating of each resistor given above by examining its physical size and
record the results in Table-3.1 under the column "Power Rating".
5. Verify the effect of resistance variation to current flow in the circuit by setting the resistor
R1 of Fig3.I to different resistance values given in Table-3.2 and record the corresponding
current measured on its value under the column "Measured current".
Fig-3.1: Experimental circuit for determining the effect of resistance variation to current

6. Compute the resistor's power dissipation for each setting in step #6 by using the formula
given below and record the results in Table-3.2 under the column "Resistor's Power
Dissipation"

Table-3.2: Table for step #6 and #7

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Resistance Measured Current (mA) Resistor's Power Dissipation

(Measured current x 5V)
mw

7. Set the range selector knob of the analog multitester (milli-ammeter) to 25 mA and the +
variable voltage supply of the analog trainer ATL-0l to minimum and construct the circuit
shown in Fig.-
Fig.-3.2: Experimental circuit for demonstrating the significance of resistor's power rating.

8. Increase the supply voltage very slowly and monitor the heat radiated by the resistor as the
current reading from the multitester increases simultaneously with the supply voltage until the
resistor blowout. The blow-out of resistor can be determined by the smoke emitted from its
body and the sudden fall of current to zero reading.
9. In the space provided below, record the maximum current meter reading before the resistor
blowout.
10. Return the supply voltage to its maximum setting and then replace the 1.2k Ω resistor of
Fig.-3.2 by the other resistor of the same resistance but with a power rating equal to 1/2 W.
11. Increase the supply voltage very slowly and monitor the heat radiated by the resistor until
the current reading from the multitester reaches the same maximum current reading obtained
in step #9.
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VII. OBSERVATION AND ANALYSIS

A. Resistor Color Coding

Color Code Coded Tolerance Measured Power

Resistor # Value (Value) Value Rating
1st 2nd 3rd 4th
1 100 5% 100.00 1/4 W
2 100,000 5% 105k 1/4 W
3 22 5% 22.10 1/4 W
4 20,000 5% 19.48k 1/4 W
5 220,000 5% 210k 1/4 W
6 330 5% 320.00 1/4 W
7 3,300 5% 3.1k 1/4 W
8 47 5% 49.00 1/4 W
9 470 5% 460.00 1/4 W
10 47000 5% 46k 1/4 W

The table 1 highlights the resistor color coding system which efficiently communicates crucial
details about each resistor. This is achieved through colored bands, each representing specific
information. The experiment used a 4 band resistor. The initial and second color bands
represent the initial and second digits of the resistance value respectively. For instance, in the
provided dataset, the brown band translates to a digit of 1, while the black corresponds to 0.
The third color band, known as the multiplier, functions to scale the initial two digits and
determine the final resistance value. This multiplier, such as x101, signifies a factor of 10 raised
to the power of 1, resulting in a multiplier of 10. The fourth band conveys the tolerance level,
denoting the acceptable divergence from the nominal value. It's notable that all the resistors
exhibit a common tolerance of 5%.

B. Resistor Characteristic

Resistance Measured Current (mA) Resistor's Power Dissipation

(Measured current x 5V)
mw

200 Ω 25 mA 125 mW
270 Ω 18.519 mA 92.6 mW
1k Ω 5 mA 25 mW
10k Ω 0.5 mA 2.5 mW
56k Ω 0.089286 mA 0.446 mW
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The table presents data regarding resistance, measured current, and power dissipation for
various resistors subjected to a 5V voltage. A 200 Ω resistor exhibits a measured current of 25
mA, resulting in a power dissipation of 125 mW. Similarly, a 270 Ω resistor experiences a
measured current of approximately 18.519 mA, leading to power dissipation of 92.6 mW. For
a 1k Ω resistor, the measured current is 5 mA, yielding power dissipation of 25 mW. A 10k Ω
resistor carries a measured current of 0.5 mA, resulting in a power dissipation of 2.5 mW.
Lastly, a 56k Ω resistor demonstrates a measured current of roughly 0.089286 mA, culminating
in power dissipation of 0.446 mW. As resistance increases, the measured current proportionally
decreases, adhering to Ohm's law. While, lower resistance values allow higher currents to flow.
This relationship between resistance and current directly impacts power dissipation, with
higher resistance values resulting in lower power dissipation due to reduced current flow. On
the other hand, lower resistance values lead to increased power dissipation as a result of higher
current passing through the resistor. Thus, the data above outlines the relationship between
resistance, current, and power dissipation across these resistor values.

C. Resistor Rating

Power Rating Maximum current Voltage Supply Maximum current

meter reading meter reading
(Experimental) (Theoretical)
¼ watts (1.2k 14 mA 17.33 V 1 2
= 𝐼 ∗ 1200
ohms) 4
I=14.43 mA
½ watts (1.2k 20 mA 24.5 V 1 2
= 𝐼 ∗ 1200
ohms) 2
I= 20.41 mA
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The experimental data obtained during the lab experiment aimed to demonstrate the
significance of a resistor's power rating in relation to its maximum current handling capacity.
The two resistors used for this analysis were a ¼ and ½ 1.2 kΩ . The maximum current meter
readings for these resistors were 14mA and 20 respectively. As anticipated, the ½ resistor, with
its higher power rating, exhibited the ability to withstand significantly greater current flow
compared to the ¼ Watts resistor. This outcome reaffirms the critical role of the power rating
in determining a resistor's ability to handle current without exceeding its temperature limits.
The experiment further emphasized that exceeding a resistor's power rating can lead to
overheating, smoke emission, and eventual blowout, as indicated by the sudden drop in current
to zero.

VIII. CONCLUSION:

Overall, the experiment achieved its objectives by familiarizing us with the color coding system
used for resistors, their various sizes and ratings, and verifying their characteristics through
hands-on experimentation. The color bands on resistors effectively communicate essential
information, with each band representing specific values such as resistance digits, multipliers,
and tolerance levels. Through practical measurements, we observed the direct relationship
between resistance, current, and power dissipation. Furthermore, the experiment highlighted
the critical importance of a resistor's power rating in determining its maximum current handling
capacity. It is confirmed that exceeding a resistor's power rating can lead to overheating of the
resistor. Thus, the experiment indicates the importance of selecting resistors with suitable
power ratings to ensure safe and reliable circuit operation. The experiment’s outcomes
underscore the practical relevance of these concepts in real-world circuit applications.

IX. QUESTIONS:
1. What is the color code of the available resistor that can be used if the required
resistance is 5,780 ohms?
• Assuming this is a 5 bands resistor that color code would be Green, Violet, Grey,
Brown, and the fifth color could be Brown for −+1%, red for −+2%, green for −+0.5%,
blue for +− 0.25%, violet for +− 0.1%, grey for +− 0.05%, gold for +− 5%, and silver for
+10%.
−

2. Give the resistance range of a resistor which has a color code of brown, red,
orange. red. —

The color brown has coded value of 1, red has 2, orange as the multiplier has x103.
Making its decoded value equal to 12,000. For the tolerance we have the forth color
which is red for +− 2%. We need to get first the tolerance value to determine the
resistance range.
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• 12,000 * 0.02 = 240

• 12,000 – 240 = 11, 760 (min)
• 12,000 + 240 = 12, 240 (max)
Thus, the resistance range of the given resistor is from 11, 760 to 12, 240.
3. Can we use a 200Ω, ¼ W resistor as a replacement for 200Ω, 1/2 resistor? Why?

• Power rating indicates the resistor’s ability to handle heat generated by the flow of
current through it. Comparing a ¼ W to a ½ W, it can be concluded that ½ W has
greater power rating than ¼ watts. Thus, we could not use a 200Ω, ¼ W resistor as
a replacement for 200Ω, 1/2 resistor. The experiment shows that using a resistor
that has a power rating lower than what's needed could overheat and damage the
resistor itself.

4. What is the third color of resistors within a resistance range of 1000Ω to 9,999Ω
• Assuming the resistors are in 4 bands, the third color of these within a resistance range
of 1000Ω to 9,999Ω would be red. That is because the 3 rd color of resistor is the
multiplier, setting it as red that would be x100. Making the final value within a
resistance range of 1000Ω to 9,999Ω.