Band B on a resistor color code represents which part of the value?

• A. First digit
• B. Decimal multiplier
• C. Tolerance
• D. Second digit

Answer: (D)

In the common 4-band resistor code, the first two bands supply the significant digits of the resistance. The second band is the second digit, meaning it provides the tens place of the two-digit value before applying the multiplier. The digits map as black=0, brown=1, red=2, orange=3, yellow=4, green=5, blue=6, violet=7, gray=8, white=9. The third band gives the multiplier (the power of ten to scale the digits), and the fourth band indicates tolerance.

For example, with first band brown (1) and second band black (0), you have the digits 10. If the third band is red (×100), that becomes 10 × 100 = 1000 ohms, with the tolerance shown by the fourth band.