POPULAR 5V LED LIMITER

220 Ohm Resistor Color Code (220 Ω)

The 220 ohm (220 Ω) resistor is arguably the most famous resistor among Arduino makers and electronics hobbyists because it provides the exact current limiting needed to safely drive standard 2V red, yellow, and green LEDs from a 5V micro-controller supply.

Quick Answer • Color Bands BreakdownIEC 60062 Standard

4-BAND (±5%)Standard Carbon/Metal Film

Red(1st Digit (2))

Red(2nd Digit (2))

Brown(Multiplier (×10))

Gold(Tolerance (±5%))

5-BAND (±1%)Precision Metal Film

Red(1st Digit (2))

Red(2nd Digit (2))

Black(3rd Digit (0))

Black(Multiplier (×1))

Brown(Tolerance (±1%))

Customize in Live Calculator BelowTolerance: ±5% (Gold) or ±1% (Brown)

Technical Specifications

Nominal Value: 220 Ω
Standard Series: E12, E24
Acceptable Measurement Range: 209 Ω to 231 Ω (at ±5%)
Typical Power: 1/4 Watt (dissipates ~0.04W when driving a 20mA LED)
Max Working Voltage: 250V

SMD Chip Markings

2213-Digit SMD (22 × 10¹ = 220 Ω)

22004-Digit Precision SMD (220 × 10⁰ = 220 Ω)

33AEIA-96 1% SMD (33 = 221, A = ×1)

Common Real-World Circuit Applications

5V DC Current-limiting resistor for LEDs (keeps forward current at safe ~14-18 mA)Arduino digital output pin protectionUSB D+ and D- series dampening and impedance matchingPushbutton debounce RC filter circuit

Interactive Tool

Resistor Color Code Calculator

Select band count and click colors below to calculate resistance and tolerance.

Resistor Band SystemShortcuts: 3 · 4 · 5 · 6

4-Band Carbon Film ResistorReading direction: Left to Right

Resistance ValueStandard E12 / E24

1kΩ±5%

Guaranteed Range:±5%

950 Ω↔1.05 kΩ

Standard SeriesE12, E24

Temp. CoefficientN/A (6-band only)

Color Band Sequence:

Common Commercial ValuesClick to load

Select Band Colors

Click any swatch to change value

Live Synced

1st Band1st Digit

2nd Band2nd Digit

3rd BandMultiplier

4th BandTolerance

Inverse Solver

Reverse Resistor Color Code Lookup

Enter resistance value in Ohms (Ω) to determine the exact color bands.

Enter Target Resistance

Live Validation

Resistance ValueExamples: 4.7k, 220, 1M, 0.47

Ohms

✓Recognized: 4.7 kΩ (4,700 Ω)

Band Count

Tolerance

Quick Presets:Click to test

Calculated Color BandsStandard E24

Exact Resistance:4.7 kΩ±5%

Color Bands Sequence (Left to Right):

Band Breakdown:

Want to tweak these bands?

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Common Questions About 220 Ohm Resistor Color Code (220 Ω)

What are the colors for a 220 ohm resistor?▼

The colors on a standard 4-band 220 ohm resistor are Red, Red, Brown, and Gold. Red is 2, Red is 2, and Brown is ×10 multiplier, producing 22 × 10 = 220 ohms with ±5% Gold tolerance.

Why is a 220 ohm resistor commonly used with LEDs on Arduino?▼

When powering an LED (forward voltage ~2.0V) from an Arduino 5V supply, the voltage drop across the resistor is 5V - 2V = 3.0V. Using Ohm's Law (I = V / R = 3.0V / 220Ω), the current is approximately 13.6 mA, which is well within the 20 mA maximum safe limit for both the microcontroller pin and the LED.

What is the 5-band code for 220 ohm?▼

For a 5-band 1% resistor, the code is Red (2), Red (2), Black (0), Black (×1 multiplier), and Brown (±1% tolerance).

IEC 60062 Standard Table

Complete Resistor Color Code Chart

View the full 12-color lookup matrix covering significant figures 0–9, multipliers from 0.01 to 1G, and tolerance bands from ±0.05% to ±20%. Includes searchable values and instant CSV export.

Explore Full Color Chart→

Engineering Guide

How to Read & Calculate Resistor Bands

Learn step-by-step reading rules, standard E-series decade values (E12, E24, E96), memory mnemonics, and surface-mount (SMD) 3-digit and EIA-96 code conversion formulas.

Read Full Engineering Guide→

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