120 Ohm Resistor Color Code: brown, red, brown, gold

120 ohm resistor color code

The color code for 120 Ω is brown, red, brown, gold on a 4-band resistor (±5%) and brown, red, black, black, brown on a 5-band resistor (±1%).

Color bands

4 bands, ±5%Brown, Red, Brown, Gold

5 bands, ±1%Brown, Red, Black, Black, Brown

6 bands, ±1%, 100 ppm/KBrown, Red, Black, Black, Brown, Brown

Open 120 Ω in the color code calculator →

Actual value by tolerance

Tolerance	Band	Minimum	Maximum
±1%	Brown	118.8 Ω	121.2 Ω
±2%	Red	117.6 Ω	122.4 Ω
±5%	Gold	114 Ω	126 Ω
±10%	Silver	108 Ω	132 Ω

SMD and printed codes

SMD, 3 digits	`121`
SMD, 4 digits	`1200`
SMD, EIA-96	not used for this value
Letter code (IEC 60062)	`120R`

Current and power at common voltages

Voltage	Current	Power	Resistor rating
3.3 V	27.5 mA	90.7 mW	1/4 W
5 V	41.7 mA	208 mW	1/2 W
9 V	75 mA	675 mW	2 W
12 V	100 mA	1.2 W	3 W
24 V	200 mA	4.8 W	10 W

As an LED resistor

Current through one LED in series with 120 Ω:

Supply	Red LED (2.0 V)	White or blue LED (3.2 V)
3.3 V	10.8 mA	0.833 mA
5 V	25 mA	15 mA
12 V	83.3 mA	73.3 mA

Above 20 mA: too much for a common 5 mm LED.

LED Resistor Calculator →

Standard series

120 Ω is a standard value in the E12, E24 series, so it comes in almost every resistor kit.

Nearby values

← 100 Ω 150 Ω →

Same first two colors, different multiplier:

1.2 Ω 12 Ω 1.2 kΩ 12 kΩ 120 kΩ 1.2 MΩ

Frequently asked questions

What are the colors of a 120 Ω resistor?

On a 4-band resistor: brown, red, brown, gold. On a 5-band resistor: brown, red, black, black, brown.

What is the SMD code for 120 Ω?

121 on 3-digit resistors and 1200 on 4-digit (1%) resistors.

How much current flows through a 120 Ω resistor at 5 V?

41.7 mA, dissipating 208 mW. A 1/2 W resistor is enough.

Which resistors get mixed up with 120 Ω?

brown, red, black, gold is 12 Ω and brown, red, red, gold is 1.2 kΩ: only the third band changes, so check it carefully.