RESISTOR &

CAPACITOR
CODING
ELECTRONIC
SYMBOLS

RESISTORS

Resistor Coding
Aresistoris apassivetwoterminalelectrical component that
implementselectrical resistanceas a
circuit element.

Example of 4-band resistor

Resistor Coding

Example of 5-band resistor

Example of 6-band resistor

Resistor Coding
The table for the color codes of resistor bands. The first two
bands represent the significant digits, the third band is for the
multiplier, and the last band is for the tolerance. For five-band
resistors, the first three bands are the significant digits, the
fourth is the multiplier, and the last is the tolerance. For six-band
resistors, the first five bands are the same with that of five band
resistors and the last band represents the temperature
coefficient.
We are already familiar with the significant digits, multiplier and
tolerance. The relatively new concept introduced is the
temperature coefficient. Temperature coefficient is defined as
the relative change of physical property when the temperature is
changed by 1 Kelvin. It is measured in ppm/K (parts per
million/Kelvin). Ppm/K is an example of pseudo-unit to describe
small values of miscellaneous dimensionless quantities.

Resistor Coding
To remember the color code easily, just keep in mind:
Bad Boys Rape Our Young Girls But Violet Gives
Willingly
Here are the other phrases you may stick with:
Bad Boys Ravish Our Young Girls Behind Victory Garden
Wall
Black Bears Raid Our Yellow Grain, Blue Violets Grow
Wild
BB ROY from Great Britain had a Very Good Wife
Bad Booze Rots Our Young Guts But Vodka Goes
Willingly

Resistor Coding
Here are the steps on how to read resistors. This set
of steps is basically for four-band resistors.
1.Orient the resistor. Determine the colors of the
stripes from left to right.
TIP: The first stripe is usually the one closest to the
edge.
2. The first two bands represent the two significant
digits.
3. The third band serves as the multiplier.
4. Multiply the significant digits by the multiplier.
5. The fourth band is the tolerance.

Resistor Coding
Example:
brown

black

red

gold

Looking at the chart, the first color which is brown corresponds to the
number 1, black is to 0, red is 10^2, and gold signifies 5 % tolerance.

The first significant digit is: 1

The second significant digit is: 0
The multiplier is: 10^2 or 100
The tolerance is: 5 %

Answer:

1k 5%

Exercise

Resistor Coding

Determine the value of the resistor:

yellow

violet

yellow (none)

Resistor Coding
Answer:

470k 20%

Determine the value of the resistor:

brown

black

black silver

Answer:

10 10%

Resistor Coding

Determine the value of the resistor:

red

red

red

yellow

Resistor Coding
Answer:

2.2k 5%
Or
2200 5%

Resistor Coding

Determine the value of the resistor:

green brown brown silver

Resistor Coding
Answer:

510 10%

Determine the value of the resistor:

brown black green (none)

Answer:

1M 20%
Or
1x10^6 20%

CAPACITORS

Capacitor Coding
Capacitance
This is a measure of a capacitor's ability to store charge. A large capacitance
means that more charge can be stored. Capacitance is measured in farads,
symbol F. However 1F is very large, so prefixes are used to show the smaller
values.

Three prefixes (multipliers) are used, (micro), n (nano) and p (pico):

means 10-6 (millionth), so 1000000F = 1F
n means 10-9 (thousand-millionth), so 1000nF = 1F
p means 10-12 (million-millionth), so 1000pF = 1nF

Capacitor Number Code

A number code is often used on small capacitors where printing is difficult:
the 1st number is the 1st digit,
the 2nd number is the 2nd digit,
the 3rd number is the number of zeros to give the capacitance in pF.
Ignore any letters - they just indicate tolerance and voltage rating.

Exercise:
Decode the capacitor with the 474J
stamp on it. And indicate the
tolerance.
Answer: 470000 pF with 5%
tolerance

Capacitor Coding

A capacitor is a passive element

designed to store energy in its
electric field.

Besides resistors, capacitors are the

most common electrical
components.
Capacitors are used extensively in
electronics, communications,
computers, and power systems.

Capacitor Coding
Difference between Resistors and
Capacitors
RESISTORS:

spends or
dissipates energy
irreversibly

CAPACITORS:

stores or
releases
energy

Figure 1.1 A typical capacitor.

Figure 1.2 A capacitor

with applied voltage The amount of
charge stored,
v.

represented by q, is
directly proportional
to the applied
voltage v so that

where C, the constant of

proportionality, is known
as the capacitance
of the capacitor.
The unit of capacitance
is the farad (F)

What is a capacitance?

where A is the surface area of each plate, d

is the distance between the
plates, and is the permittivity of the dielectric
material between theplates.

Three factors that determine the value of

the
capacitance:

1. The surface area of the platesthe

larger the area, the greater the
capacitance.
2. The spacing between the plates
the smaller the spacing, the greater
the capacitance.
3. The permittivity of the material
the higher the permittivity, the
greater the capacitance.

Different Values of Capacitors:

picofarad (pF) to microfarad (F)
range.

Figure 1.3 Circuit symbols for capacitors:

(a) fixed capacitor, (b) variable capacitor.

Common types of fixed-value

capacitors:

Figure 1.4 Fixed capacitors: (a) polyester capacitor, (b)

ceramic capacitor, (c) electrolytic capacitor.

Polyester capacitors are light in weight, stable, and their

change with temperature ispredictable. Instead of
polyester, other dielectric materials such as mica and
polystyrene may be used.
Film capacitors are rolled and housed in metal or plastic
films.
Electrolytic capacitors produce very high capacitance.

Most common types of variable

capacitors:

Figure 6.5 Variable

capacitors:
(a) trimmer capacitor,
(b) filmtrim capacitor

The capacitance of a trimmer (or

padder) capacitor or a glass piston
capacitor is varied by turning the
screw.
The trimmer capacitor is often
placed
in parallel with another capacitor so
that the equivalent capacitance can
be varied slightly.
The capacitance of the variable air
capacitor (meshed
plates) is varied by turning the shaft.
Variable capacitors are used in radio
receivers allowing one to tune to
various stations.
In addition, capacitors
are used to block dc, pass ac, shift

current-voltage
The voltage-current
relationship of the
relation of the
capacitor
capacitor can be
obtained by
i = dq/dt
integrating both
differentiating
sides of Eq. (v). We
both sides of Eq.
get
(i) gives:

The instantaneous power delivered to

the capacitor is

The energy stored in the capacitor is

Exercise

1. (a) Calculate the charge stored on a

3-pF capacitor with 20 V across it.
(b) Find the energy stored in the
capacitor.

ANSWER:
1
(a) =60 pC
(b) = 600 pJ

ELECTRONIC SYMBOLS

Electronic Symbols
An electronic symbol is a
pictogram used to represent various
electrical and electronic devices

Electronic Symbols
Wires and Connections
Wire

Wires joined

Wires not joined but

crosses each other

Electronic Symbols
Power Supplies

Single Cell

Multi-Cell Battery

Fuse

Electronic Symbols
Power Supplies

DC Supply

AC Supply

Transformers

Earth (Ground)

Electronic Symbols
Switch

On-Off Switch (SPST)

2-way Switch (SPDT)

Dual On-Off Switch (DPST)

Electronic Symbols

Transistors

NPN Transistor

PNP Transistor

Phototransistor

Electronic Symbols
Capacitors

Capacitor

Variable Capacitor

Capacitor, polarized

Electronic Symbols
Resistors

Resistor

Variable Resistor
(Rheostat)

Variable Resistor
(Potentiometer)

Electronic Symbols
Power Supplies

Diode

LED
(Light Emitting Diode)

Zener Diode

Photodiode

Electronic Symbols

Meters and Oscilloscope

Voltmeter

Ammeter

Galvanometer

Ohmmeter

Oscilloscope

Electronic Symbols

Output Devices
Lamp

Heater
Motor

Bell

Buzzer

Example: Draw a schematic circuit

diagram

Answer:

Exercise

Draw a schematic circuit diagram:

Answer:

Draw a schematic circuit diagram:

Answer:

Draw a schematic circuit diagram:

Answer: