ECE 033 – Basic Electronics (for IT)

Teachers’ Guide Module #1

Name: ______________________________________________________ Class number: ______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________ Date: ____________

Lesson title: RESISTORS AND CAPACITORS Materials:

Lesson Objectives: Scientific Calculator
1. Read resistor and capacitor values.
2. Determine suitable resistors and capacitors for use. References:
Basic Electronics by Grob

Productivity Tip:
At the start of the day, create a list with one (1) to three (3) Most-Important-Tasks (MIT) for the day. MITs are
tasks that you need to finish before the end of the day.

A. LESSON PREVIEW/REVIEW
1) Introduction (5 mins)
Teacher orients students with regards to class policies and introduces grading system to students.
Teacher also informs class about class schedules.

2) Activity 1: What I Know Chart, part 1 (5 mins)

What I Know Questions: What I Learned (Activity 4)

What is the most common type of

resistor?

List at least five (5) types of

resistors.

What are the two ratings for a

capacitor?

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 ECE 033 – Basic Electronics (for IT)
Teachers’ Guide Module #1

Name: ______________________________________________________ Class number: ______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________ Date: ____________

B. MAIN LESSON

1) Activity 2: Content Notes (13 mins)

RESISTORS
Resistors are used in a wide variety of applications in all types of electronic circuits. Their main function
in any circuit is to limit the amount of current or to produce a desired drop in voltage. Resistors are
manufactured in a variety of shapes and sizes and have ohmic values ranging from a fraction of an ohm
to several megohms. The power or wattage rating of a resistor is determined mainly by its physical size.
Most common in electronic equipment are carbon resistors with a power rating of 1 W or less. The
construction is illustrated below.

The two main characteristics of a resistor are its

resistance, R in ohms and its power rating in watts, W.
Resistors are available in a very wide range of R values,
from a fraction of an ohm to many kilohms (k) and
megohms (M). One kilohm is 1000  and one megohm
is 1,000,000 . The power rating for resistors may be as
high as several hundred watts or as low as 1/10 W or 0.1
W.

The R is the resistance value required to provide the desired current or voltage. Also important is the
wattage rating because it specifies the maximum power the resistor can dissipate without excessive heat.

The leads extending out from the resistor body can be

inserted through the holes on a printed-circuit (PC) board
for mounting as shown on the right. The resistors on a PC
board are often inserted automatically by machine.

Note that resistors are not polarity-sensitive devices. This

means that it does not matter which way the leads of a
resistor are connected in a circuit.

TYPES OF RESISTORS
CARBON-COMPOSITION RESISTORS
These resistors are made of finely divided carbon or graphite mixed with a powdered insulating material
as a binder in the proportions needed for the desired R value. Joined to the two ends of the carbon
resistance element are metal caps with leads of tinned copper wire for soldering the connections into a
circuit. These are called axial leads because they come straight out from the ends. Carbon-composition
resistors normally have a brown body and are cylindrical.

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 ECE 033 – Basic Electronics (for IT)
Teachers’ Guide Module #1

Name: ______________________________________________________ Class number: ______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________ Date: ____________

FILM-TYPE RESISTORS

There are two kinds of film-type resistors: carbon-film and metal-film resistors. The carbon-film resistor,
whose construction is shown above, is made by depositing a thin layer of carbon on an insulated
substrate. The carbon film is then cut in the form of a spiral to form the resistive element. The resistance
value is controlled by varying the proportion of carbon to insulator. Compared to carbon composition
resistors, carbon-film resistors have the following advantages: lower tolerances, less sensitivity to
temperature changes and aging, and they generate less noise internally.

Metal-film resistors are constructed in a manner similar to the carbon-film type. However, in a metal-film
resistor, a thin film of metal is sprayed onto a ceramic substrate and then cut in the form of a spiral. Like
carbon-film resistors, metal-film resistors are affected very little by temperature changes and aging. They
also generate very little noise internally. In overall performance, metal-film resistors are the best, carbon-
film resistors are next, and carbon-composition resistors are last.

CHIP OR SURFACE-MOUNT RESISTORS

Surface-mount resistors, also called chip resistors, are constructed by
depositing a thick carbon film on a ceramic base. The exact resistance
value is determined by the composition of the carbon itself, as well as by
the amount of trimming done to the carbon deposit. The resistance can
vary from a fraction of an ohm to well over a million ohms. Power
dissipation ratings are typically 1/8 to 1/4 W.

Electrical connection to the resistive element is made via two leadless

solder end electrodes (terminals). The end electrodes are C-shaped. The
physical dimensions of a 1/8-W chip resistor are 0.125 in. long by 0.063
in. wide and approximately 0.028 in. thick. This is many times smaller
than a conventional resistor having axial leads. Chip resistors are very
temperature-stable and also very rugged. The end electrodes are soldered directly to the copper traces
of a circuit board, hence the name surface-mount.

Resistors in a PC or laptop motherboard are usually chip resistors. These should not be soldered to the
board but it uses a special soldering equipment called “hot-air” to melt the solder end terminals to the
board.

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 ECE 033 – Basic Electronics (for IT)
Teachers’ Guide Module #1

Name: ______________________________________________________ Class number: ______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________ Date: ____________

RESISTOR COLOR CODING

Because carbon resistors are small, they are color-coded to mark their R value in ohms. The basis of this
system is the use of colors for numerical values, as listed in the table below. In memorizing the colors,
note that the darkest colors, black and brown, are for the lowest numbers, zero and one, whereas white
is for nine. The color coding is standardized by the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA).

RESISTANCE COLOR STRIPES

The use of colored bands or stripes is the most common system
for color coding resistors, as shown below. The colored bands or
stripes completely encircle the body of the resistor and are usually
crowded toward one end.

Reading from left to right, the first band closest to the edge gives
the first digit in the numerical value of R. The next band indicates
the second digit. The third band is the decimal multiplier, which
tells us how many zeros to add after the first two digits.

EXAMPLES

In the figure on the left, the first stripe is red for 2 and the next stripe
is green for 5. The red multiplier in the third stripe means add two
zeros to 25, or “this multiplier is 102”.
The result can be illustrated as follows:

FIRST BAND SECOND BAND THIRD BAND FOURTH BAND

RED GREEN RED GOLD
2 5 00 5%

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 ECE 033 – Basic Electronics (for IT)
Teachers’ Guide Module #1

Name: ______________________________________________________ Class number: ______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________ Date: ____________

In the figure on the left, the first stripe is red for 2 and the next
stripe is green for 5. The black multiplier in the third stripe means
do not add any zeros to 25.
The result can be illustrated as follows:

FIRST BAND SECOND BAND THIRD BAND FOURTH BAND

RED GREEN BLACK GOLD
2 5 - 5%

RESISTORS UNDER 10 OHMS

For these values, the third stripe is either gold or silver, indicating a fractional decimal multiplier. When
the third stripe is gold, multiply the first two digits by 0.1. When the third stripe is silver, multiply the first
two digits by 0.01.
In the figure on the left, the first stripe is red for 2 and the next stripe
is green for 5. The gold multiplier in the third stripe means multiply
25 by 0.1.
The result can be illustrated as follows:

FIRST BAND SECOND BAND THIRD BAND FOURTH BAND

RED GREEN BLACK GOLD
2 5 X 0.1 5%

It is important to realize that the gold and silver colors represent fractional decimal multipliers only when
they appear in the third stripe. Gold and silver are used most often however as a fourth stripe to indicate
how accurate the R value is. The colors gold and silver will never appear in the first two color stripes.

RESISTOR TOLERANCE
The amount by which the actual R can differ from the color-coded value is the tolerance, usually given
in percent. For instance, a 2000- resistor with a silver band ( 10%) tolerance can have resistance 10%
above or below the coded value. This R, therefore, is between 1800  and 2200 . The calculations are
as follows:

10 % 𝑜𝑓 2,000 = 0.1 × 2,000 = 200

2,000 − 200 = 1,800 𝑜ℎ𝑚𝑠

2,000 + 200 = 2,200 𝑜ℎ𝑚𝑠

As illustrated before, a silver in the fourth band indicates a tolerance of 10%, gold indicates 5%. If there
is no color band for tolerance, it is 20%. The inexact value of carbon-composition resistors is a
disadvantage of their economical construction. They usually cost less than one peso each, or less in
larger quantities. In most circuits, though, a small difference in resistance can be tolerated.

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 ECE 033 – Basic Electronics (for IT)
Teachers’ Guide Module #1

Name: ______________________________________________________ Class number: ______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________ Date: ____________

FIVE-BAND COLOR CODE

Precision resistors (typically metal-fi lm resistors) often use a five-band color code rather than the four-
band code. The purpose is to obtain more precise R values. With the five-band code, the first three color
stripes indicate the first three digits, followed by the decimal multiplier in the fourth stripe and the tolerance
in the fifth stripe. In the fifth stripe, the colors brown, red, green, blue, and violet represent the following
tolerances:

BROWN 1%
RED 2%
GREEN  0.5 %
BLUE  0.25 %
VIOLET  0.1 %

EXAMPLE
The first stripe is orange for the number 3, the second stripe is
blue for the number 6, and the third stripe is green for the number
5. Therefore, the first three digits of the resistance are 3, 6, and
5, respectively. The fourth stripe, which is the multiplier, is black,
which means add no zeros. The fifth stripe, which indicates the
resistor tolerance, is green for 0.5%. Therefore,
R = 365   0.5%.
The permissible ohmic range is calculated as 365  0.005 =
1.825 , or 363.175  to 366.825 .

Color-coded resistors are encountered so frequently in electronic circuits it is highly recommended that
you memorize the resistor color code.

CHIP RESISTOR CODING SYSTEM

The resistance value of a chip resistor is determined from the

three-digit number printed on the film or body side of the
component. The three digits provide the same information as the
first three color stripes on a four-band resistor.
The first two digits indicate the first two numbers in the numerical
value of the resistance; the third digit indicates the multiplier. If a
four-digit number is used, the first three digits indicate the first
three numbers in the numerical value of the resistance, and the
fourth digit indicates the multiplier.

The letter R is used to signify a decimal point for values between 1  and 10  as in 2R7 = 2.7 .

Chip resistors are typically available in tolerances of 1% and 5%. It is important to note, however, that
the tolerance of a chip resistor is not indicated by the three- or four-digit code.

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 ECE 033 – Basic Electronics (for IT)
Teachers’ Guide Module #1

Name: ______________________________________________________ Class number: ______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________ Date: ____________

EXAMPLE
The first two digits are 5 and 6, giving 56 as the first two numbers in the
resistance value. The third digit, 2, is the multiplier, which means add 2
zeros to 56 for a resistance of 5600  or 5.6 k.

RHEOSTATS AND POTENTIOMETERS

Rheostats and potentiometers are variable resistances, either carbon or
wire-wound, used to vary the amount of current or voltage in a circuit. The
controls can be used in either dc or ac applications.

A rheostat is a variable resistance R with two terminals connected in series

with a load. The purpose is to vary the amount of current.

A potentiometer, generally called a “pot” for short, has three terminals. The
fixed maximum R across the two ends is connected across a voltage source.
Then the variable arm is used to vary the voltage division between the center
terminal and the ends.

POWER RATING OF RESISTORS

In addition to having the required ohms value, a resistor should have a wattage rating high enough to
dissipate the power produced by the current flowing through the resistance without becoming too hot.
The power rating is a physical property that depends on the resistor construction, especially physical
size. Note the following:
1. A larger physical size indicates a higher power rating.
2. Higher wattage resistors can operate at higher temperatures.

For approximate sizes, a 2-W carbon resistor is about 1 in. long with a 1/4-in. diameter; while a 1/4-W
resistor is about 0.25 in. long with a diameter of 0.1 in.

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 ECE 033 – Basic Electronics (for IT)
Teachers’ Guide Module #1

Name: ______________________________________________________ Class number: ______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________ Date: ____________

CAPACITORS
Capacitance is the ability of a dielectric to hold or store an electric charge. The more charge stored for
a given voltage, the higher the capacitance. The symbol for capacitance is C, and the unit is the farad
(F), named after Michael Faraday. A capacitor consists of an insulator (also called a dielectric) between
two
conductors. The conductors make it possible to apply voltage across the insulator. Different types of
capacitors are manufactured for specific values of C. They are named according to the dielectric.
Common types are air, ceramic, mica, paper, film, and electrolytic capacitors. Capacitors used in
electronic circuits are small and economical.

The C is a physical constant, indicating the capacitance in terms of the amount of charge that can be
stored for a given amount of charging voltage. When one coulomb is stored in the dielectric with a
potential difference of one volt, the capacitance is one farad. Practical capacitors have sizes in
millionths of a farad, or smaller. The reason is that typical capacitors store charge of micro-coulombs
or less. Therefore, the common units are:

1 𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑓𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑑 = 1 𝜇𝐹 = 1 × 10−6 𝐹

1 𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑓𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑑 = 1 𝑛𝐹 = 1 × 10−9 𝐹

1 𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑜𝑓𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑑 = 1 𝑝𝐹 = 1 × 10−12 𝐹

Capacitors also has a second rating called breakdown voltage. it is the maximum voltage that can be
used to charge the capacitor. Exceeding the breakdown voltage may cause damage to the capacitor.

COMMERCIAL CAPACITORS
Commercial capacitors are generally classified according to the dielectric. Most common are air, mica,
paper, plastic film, and ceramic capacitors, plus the electrolytic type. Electrolytic capacitors use a
molecular-thin oxide film as the dielectric, resulting in large capacitance values in little space.

Except for electrolytic capacitors, all capacitors can be connected to a circuit

without regard to polarity, since either side can be the more positive plate.
Electrolytic capacitors are marked to indicate the side that must be
connected to the positive or negative source/dc supply of the circuit.

A polarized electrolytic shows which terminal should be connected to the

negative terminal of the dc supply. This is indicated by dashed lines (- - ) on
one terminal of the capacitor.

Electrolytic capacitors range from 1 to 10,000 µF. Breakdown voltages can

be as high as 450 V. Tantalum films in electrolytic capacitors have longer
shelf life, larger C and less leakage currents.

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 ECE 033 – Basic Electronics (for IT)
Teachers’ Guide Module #1

Name: ______________________________________________________ Class number: ______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________ Date: ____________

In mica capacitors, thin mica sheets as the dielectric are stacked between
tinfoil sections for the conducting plates to provide the required
capacitance. Alternate strips of tinfoil are connected and brought out as
one terminal for one set of plates, and the opposite terminal connects to
the other set of interlaced plates. The entire unit is generally in a molded
Bakelite case. Mica capacitors are often used for small capacitance
values of about 10 to 5000 pF.

For paper capacitors, two rolls of tinfoil conductor separated by a paper

dielectric are rolled into a compact cylinder. The entire cylinder is generally
placed in a cardboard container coated with wax or encased in plastic.
Paper capacitors are often used or medium capacitance values of
approximately 0.001 to 1.0 µ F.

Film capacitors are constructed much like paper capacitors except that
the paper dielectric is replay with aplastic film such as polypropylene,
polystyrene, polycarbonate, or polyethylene terephthalate (Mylar).

The ceramic materials used in ceramic capacitors are made from earth
fired under extreme heat. With titanium dioxide or one of several types of
silicates, very high values of dielectric constant K can be obtained. In the
disk form, the available with values of 1 pF (or less) up to about 1 µF.

CERAMIC / PAPER / CHIP CAPACITOR CODING

The value of a capacitor is always specified in either microfarad or picofarad units of capacitance. As
a general rule, if a capacitor (other than an electrolytic capacitor) is marked using a whole number such
a 33, 220, or 680, the capacitance C is in picofarad (pF). Conversely, if a capacitor is labeled using a
decimal fraction such as 0.1, 0.047, or 0.0082, the capacitance C is in microfarads (µF).

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 ECE 033 – Basic Electronics (for IT)
Teachers’ Guide Module #1

Name: ______________________________________________________ Class number: ______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________ Date: ____________

2) Activity 3: Skill-building Activities (with answer key) (18 mins + 2 mins checking)
a) What are the two main characteristics of a resistor? ______________
b) What are the two types of film resistors? ______________
c) What are the advantages of using film resistors over carbon compositions resistors?
_________________________________________________________________________

d) Determine the values for each resistor and the tolerance values.

e) Determine the values for each chip capacitor.

3) Activity 4: What I Know Chart, part 2 (2 mins)

4) Activity 5: Check for Understanding (5 mins)

Metal film resistors usually have __ bands. a. 4 b. 5 c. 6 d. 3

A carbon-film resistor is color coded with red, violet,
27  270  27  270 
black, and silver stripes. What are its resistance and a. b. c. d.
tolerance? 5% 5%  10 %  10 %
A carbon composition resistor having only three
a. 5% b.  20 % c.  10 % d. 1%
color stripes has a tolerance of:
A chip resistor is marked 394. Its resistance value
a. 39.4  b. 394  c. 39 K d. 390 K
is:
Which type of capacitor is also used in the
a. Mica b. Tantalum c. Ceramic d. Film
electrolytic type?
A capacitor has a marking of 104. The capacitance
a. 1 nF b. 100 nF c. 10 nF d. 104 pF
is:

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 ECE 033 – Basic Electronics (for IT)
Teachers’ Guide Module #1

Name: ______________________________________________________ Class number: ______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________ Date: ____________

Determine the resistor values below:

C. LESSON WRAP-UP
1) Activity 6: Thinking about Learning (5 mins)

FAQs
None.

KEY TO CORRECTIONS
Part a Resistance, Power Rating
Part b Carbon film, Metal film
Part c Lower tolerances, less sensitivity to temperature changes and aging, and they generate less noise
internally.
Part d
(a) 1500   10 %
(b) 27   5 %
(c) 470 k  5 %

Part e
(a) 470,000 pF = 470 nF = 0.47 µF
(b) 1,200 pF or 1.2 nF

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