help for school

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USMC_AJUDEA
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help for school

Post by USMC_AJUDEA »

how can memorize the color codes for resistor values faster? my previous instructor just gave us a cheat sheet, i actually want to learn because im taking electronic devices now, and without looking at the sheet, we have to be able to provide the value, while we configure the components in the board. thanks to any input on this matter.
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CeaSaR
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Re: help for school

Post by CeaSaR »

This wiki pretty much sums up the easiest way to remember the color codes.

CeaSaR
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Robert Reed
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Re: help for school

Post by Robert Reed »

Oh, The"Bad Boys--------" thing. I had almost forgot that existed. Trouble with me was I could never remember the saying :grin:
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CeaSaR
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Re: help for school

Post by CeaSaR »

Yeah, only when I learned it, it wasn't "ravish"... :shock:

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Bob Scott
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Re: help for school

Post by Bob Scott »

If I had to do it all over again, I would memorize the color codes by "rote", like the times tables. Repetitiously saying out loud "Black is zero, Brown is 1" etc, all the way up to White, and also the reverse "Zero is Black, 1 is Brown" etc.

I never did it this way and still have problems coming out with a quick answer for certain values like...Quick, what is grey?

If I have not thought about the color codes in a while, I have to spend a few seconds reviewing all the colors in my mind. Like "Oh yeah, Black is zero. Then it's the next darkest color....Brown, and red is next. Then the next one is sort of reddish....Yellow is 4 and Orange is in between....so Orange is 3. I always still get a little uncertain if Blue or Green come next, but there is a little blue in the color Purple and I know that Violet is 7 and Blue is next to it, so Blue must be 6 and then Green can't be 6 and must be 5. I have Grey and White memorised as the last two. So Grey is 8 and White is 9.

That thought process straightens me out for a day or so.
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haklesup
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Re: help for school

Post by haklesup »

A useful bit of knowledge but in our stockroom, few resistors (~20%) have any color code at all. Most have only numerical markings. It's a dying standard but still useful for repairs. The trickiest thing is reading color codes off a burned resistor you need to replace. Honestly, I have rarely had to use the color code.

Furthermore, we discontinued all 5% and 10% resistors and now buy only 1% stock even for the low tolerance applications since the price is almost the same for typical values. This also reduces the number of components to stock by dozens.
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MrAl
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Re: help for school

Post by MrAl »

Hi,


Yeah i found that to be true too, i sometimes bought 1 percent resistors (which have the
values stamped on them rather than color bands) because they were often the same
price or even cheaper in some cases than the 5 percent resistors.

Another way to remember the 'color' gray color band meaning is to remember that gray
scale pictures such as gif or bmp use only 8 color bits to represent the gray scale.
So think "Gray scale 8 bits...gray scale 8 bits...gray scale 8 bits", if i say it enough times
i might remember it too :smile:

It was so long ago when i learned i cant remember how i learned now.
Now i just think in terms of color the way you think in terms of a foreign language word
once you have used the word enough: it associates in your head automatically and
you dont need any catch phrase.
In fact, the resistors themselves start to look like 'words' (foreign language) because
they often only appear in certain color combinations. For example, 4.7k is
"yellow,violet,red" and if you put them together it makes one word "yellow_violet_red".
We dont usually see "yellow_gray_red" so that's not a word. When we see
"yellow_violet_red" we immediately know what value it is without resorting to thinking
about the individual colors.
This is especially true for people who work in production with a certain product where
there are only a certain number of different value resistors ever used. They get to know
the thing by the three color bands rather than the actual value, or by the three color bands
that indicate the color not by individual bands but by the entire set of colors.
LEDs vs Bulbs, LEDs are winning.
Robert Reed
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Re: help for school

Post by Robert Reed »

Yea,I think that falls under the definition of 'SynTax'. I eventually learned by rote and as crude as that may sound, there is no better way to learn anything. Case in point- most of our older members learned their grade school math by rote and it is second nature to us now. Compare that to younger generations basic math knowledge. "5+5 =11, and I know thats right because just look at my calculators answer" ( of course the calculator is half shot).
Any how the rote method has allowed me to look at the color bands and instantly see the ohmic value. Now when it comes to 1% values - they drive me up a wall. The colors are too pastel and the substrate color is too dark. Half the time I have to drag out the ohmmeter to positively verify what I am looking at. :sad:
Dorzok03
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Re: help for school

Post by Dorzok03 »

Black Brown Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Violet Gray White
That is the order and this is the phrase i use to remember them.
Bad Beer Rots Our Young Guts But Vodka Goes Well.............My teacher taught me that one :grin:
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Joseph
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Re: help for school

Post by Joseph »

I think I subconsciously do it the way Bob explained it.
USMC_AJUDEA
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Re: help for school

Post by USMC_AJUDEA »

freakin' awesome !! just the insights i was looking for. thank you for all the replies, i know it will help me.
i know i will still look at the cheat sheet, but actually knowing the color code will be half the battle.
again, thank you.
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