470 Ohm Resistor Color Code — Yellow Violet Brown Gold

470 ohm resistor color code (quick answer)

470 ohm resistor color code = Yellow · Violet · Brown · Gold → digits 4 · 7, ×10 → 470 Ω. Yellow and violet are the 47 prefix — same digit pair as 4.7 kΩ (4.7 kΩ guide) but brown vs red multiplier separates 470 Ω from 4700 Ω.

4-band: Yellow · Violet · Brown · Gold → 47 × 10 = 470 Ω (±5%) · 5-band (±1%): Yellow · Violet · Black · Black · Brown → 470 × 1 = 470 Ω (±1%)

Why textbooks used 470 Ω on 5 V (and why kits moved on)

Era	Typical series R	LED current @ 5 V, $V_f≈2V$	Philosophy
1980s–2000s manuals	470 Ω	~6 mA	Very safe, dim, long LED life
Modern Arduino kits	330 Ω / 220 Ω	9–15 mA	Brighter, still within GPIO limits

470 Ω is not wrong — it is conservative. For a panel indicator where brightness doesn't matter, 470 Ω runs cooler and extends LED life.

Brightness snapshot (5 V, red LED)

R	Current	Relative brightness
220 Ω	~13 mA	Bright
330 Ω	~9 mA	Medium
470 Ω	~6 mA	Dim but clear indoors

Yellow–Violet digit mnemonic (47 family)

Both 470 Ω and 4.7 kΩ start with 4 · 7:

Value	3rd/4th multiplier band	Full 4-band
470 Ω	Brown (×10)	Y · V · Brown · Gold
4.7 kΩ	Red (×100)	Y · V · Red · Gold

This confusion doesn't exist on 220 Ω (both reds) or 1 kΩ (brown-black-red).

TTL-era series termination (historical note)

470 Ω appeared in some 5 V logic application notes as a series damping value. Modern CMOS designs use different rules — treat this as historical context, not a universal recipe.

FAQ

What is the 470 ohm resistor color code?

4-band (±5%): Yellow, Violet, Brown, Gold. 47 × 10 = 470 Ω (±5%). Actual range: 446.5 Ω – 493.5 Ω.

What is the 470 ohm resistor colour code (5-band)?

Yellow · Violet · Black · Black · Brown → 470 × 1 = 470 Ω (±1%). Range: 465.3 Ω – 474.7 Ω.

How do I read a 470 ohm resistor color code?

Read left to right: first bands are digits, then multiplier, then tolerance. For 470 Ω: Yellow-Violet-Brown = significant digits & multiplier, Gold = tolerance. Use the color code calculator to verify.

Which end do I start reading a 470 Ω resistor from?

Start from the grouped digit bands (left). The tolerance band (Gold) is on the right — gold and silver are almost always tolerance, not multipliers.

What is the difference between 4-band and 5-band for 470 Ω?

4-band (Yellow · Violet · Brown · Gold) gives 47 × 10 = 470 Ω (±5%) with typical ±5% gold tolerance. 5-band (Yellow · Violet · Black · Black · Brown) adds a third digit for ±1% precision: 470 × 1 = 470 Ω (±1%) (465.3 Ω – 474.7 Ω).

What is the 5-band 470 ohm colour code?

Yellow-Violet-Black-Black-Brown → 470 × 1 = 470 Ω (±1%).

Is 470 ohm good for Arduino LEDs?

It works but is dimmer than 220–330 Ω; calculate (5−Vf)/R for your target mA.

Related guides (different topics)

• 330 Ω color code — 5 V vs 3.3 V supply matrix
• 220 Ω color code — LED brightness vs 330/470 Ω on 5 V
• 1 kΩ color code — divider math & strong pull-ups

Topic cluster

• Values hub — pick by application
• How to read any resistor (method)
• Color code calculator — decode any value
• 4-band decoder on calculator