Capacitor color code

Color coded capacitors, 470 pF, 5%, 500 V, including 330 pF, 5%, 500 V

The capacitor color code or color code for capacitors is a color code for the electrical values ​​of capacitors , which as electronic components are usually very small and also round. In order to avoid the resulting difficulty of displaying legible numbers on the surface of these components, the circumferential printing of color identification rings was introduced. However, the values ​​of discrete resistors, capacitors and coils are not produced in every value that can be represented by the color code, but only in geometric gradations. These are standardized and are referred to as the E series .

Color codes of axial ceramic capacitors

colour	first ring digit	second ring number	third ring multiplier	fourth ring tolerance		fifth ring operating voltage
				C <10 pF	C> 10 pF
"no"	-	-	-	± 20%	-	500 V
silver	-	-	-	-	-	2 kV
gold	-	-	-	-	-	1 kV
black	-	0	10 0  pF	-	± 20%	-
brown	1	1	10 1  pF	0.1 pF	± 1%	100 V
red	2	2	10 2  pF	0.25 pF	± 2%	200 V
orange	3	3	10 3  pF	-	-	300 V
yellow	4th	4th	10 4  pF	-	-	400 V
green	5	5	10 5  pF	0.5%	± 5%	500 V
blue	6th	6th	-	-	-	600 V
violet	7th	7th	-	-	-	700 V
Gray	8th	8th	10 −2  pF	-	-	800 V
White	9	9	10 −1  pF	± 1 pF	± 10%	900 V

Related topics

There are similar color codes for resistors , coils and diodes .