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About

Electronics prototyping requires frequent translation between unit prefixes. Schematics often label resistors in kiloOhms using shorthand notation like "4k7" or "10k", while multimeters and bills of materials may specify values in raw Ohms. Mismatched units lead to order-of-magnitude errors in voltage dividers and current limiters. Precision is vital. A 100 Ohm resistor used in place of a 100 kOhm resistor results in excessive current flow and component destruction. This tool standardizes these values and provides visual validation via color codes.

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Formulas

The relationship uses standard SI prefixes. The kilo prefix denotes a multiplier of 103.

R = RΩ ÷ 1000
RΩ = R × 1000

When calculating color codes, the value is broken into significant digits and a multiplier:

R = AB × 10C

Reference Data

Resistance (Ω)Resistance (kΩ)Standard Series (E12)Color Code (4-Band)
100.01YesBrown, Black, Black, Gold
1000.1YesBrown, Black, Brown, Gold
2200.22YesRed, Red, Brown, Gold
3300.33YesOrange, Orange, Brown, Gold
1,0001YesBrown, Black, Red, Gold
2,2002.2YesRed, Red, Red, Gold
4,7004.7YesYellow, Violet, Red, Gold
10,00010YesBrown, Black, Orange, Gold
47,00047YesYellow, Violet, Orange, Gold
100,000100YesBrown, Black, Yellow, Gold
470,000470YesYellow, Violet, Yellow, Gold
1,000,0001,000YesBrown, Black, Green, Gold

Frequently Asked Questions

Standard converters require numeric input. However, in electronics notation, 4k7 represents 4.7 kOhm. You should enter 4.7 in the kOhm field or 4700 in the Ohm field.
Physical resistors are small. The printed text is often illegible or on the bottom. The color bands are the primary identification method. Seeing the bands on screen confirms the value you intend to use matches the component in your hand.
The visualizer defaults to the standard 4-band code (5% tolerance) used in general prototyping. 5-band codes are used for 1% tolerance resistors, which add an extra digit of precision.
Yes. Inputs like "1e3" for 1000 Ohms are accepted and processed correctly. This is useful when pasting data from SPICE simulation logs.