BB ROY of Great Britain has a Very Good Wife
Resistor Colour Code
Class 12JEEEngineering
Items to Memorize
- Black = 0
- Brown = 1
- Red = 2
- Orange = 3
- Yellow = 4
- Green = 5
- Blue = 6
- Violet = 7
- Grey = 8
- White = 9
Mnemonic Tricks
How It Maps
| Cue | Maps To |
|---|---|
| B (Black) | 0 |
| B (Brown) | 1 |
| R (Red) | 2 |
| O (Orange) | 3 |
| Y (Yellow) | 4 |
| G (Green) | 5 |
| B (Blue) | 6 |
| V (Violet) | 7 |
| G (Grey) | 8 |
| W (White) | 9 |
Why It Sticks
The classic electronics mnemonic used worldwide. 'BB ROY' covers 0-4, 'Great Britain' gives Green and Blue (5-6), 'Very Good Wife' gives Violet, Grey, White (7-9).
Black is nothing, Brown is one, Red is two like setting sun, Orange three and Yellow four, Green is five — there's plenty more! Blue is six and Violet seven, Grey is eight approaching heaven, White is nine — the last in line, now you've read the colour sign!
Why It Sticks
A singable rhyme with rhythm that forces correct sequence — each colour-number pair sits on a beat, making it easy to tap out during exams.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the resistor colour code?
A system where coloured bands on a resistor indicate its resistance value. Each colour represents a digit 0-9: Black(0), Brown(1), Red(2), Orange(3), Yellow(4), Green(5), Blue(6), Violet(7), Grey(8), White(9).
How to read a 4-band resistor?
Band 1: first digit. Band 2: second digit. Band 3: multiplier (number of zeros). Band 4: tolerance (Gold=±5%, Silver=±10%). Example: Red-Violet-Orange-Gold = 27 × 1000 = 27kΩ ±5%.
What is the best mnemonic for resistor colour code?
'BB ROY of Great Britain has a Very Good Wife' — first letters give Black, Brown, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet, Grey, White in order 0-9.
What does Gold and Silver band mean on a resistor?
As tolerance band (last band): Gold = ±5%, Silver = ±10%, No band = ±20%. As multiplier (3rd band): Gold = ×0.1, Silver = ×0.01.
Is resistor colour code asked in JEE/board exams?
Yes — Class 12 Physics and JEE frequently test colour code reading, especially calculating resistance from band colours and identifying tolerance.