A resistor has color bands of orange, blue, yellow, and gold. What are the resistance and tolerance of this resistor?
The correct answer and explanation is :
Answer:
A resistor with color bands of orange, blue, yellow, and gold has the following resistance and tolerance:
- Resistance: 360,000 ohms (or 360 kΩ)
- Tolerance: ±5%
Explanation (Approx. 300 words):
Resistors use a color-coding system known as the electronic color code to indicate their resistance value and tolerance. This system is standardized and used worldwide to make resistor identification easy and compact. The color bands on a typical four-band resistor represent the following:
- 1st band – First significant digit
- 2nd band – Second significant digit
- 3rd band – Multiplier (power of ten)
- 4th band – Tolerance (precision of the resistor)
Let’s break down the bands:
- Orange (1st band): Represents the number 3
- Blue (2nd band): Represents the number 6
- Yellow (3rd band): Represents a multiplier of 10⁴ (10,000)
- Gold (4th band): Represents a tolerance of ±5%
Now apply the values:
- Combine the first two digits: 36
- Multiply by the multiplier:
$36 \times 10,000 = 360,000 \, \Omega$ or 360 kΩ
The gold band tells us the resistor can vary by ±5% from its nominal value. This means the actual resistance can range from:
- Minimum value:
$360,000 \times 0.95 = 342,000 \, \Omega$ - Maximum value:
$360,000 \times 1.05 = 378,000 \, \Omega$
This tolerance is important in circuits where precise resistance is needed. For general-purpose applications, ±5% is often acceptable.
This color code system is crucial in electronics because it allows engineers and technicians to quickly identify resistor values without the need for printed labels, which would be impractical on small components.