The Electronic Industries Association (EIA) and other authorities have specified standard values for resistors. It can be referred as the Preferred Value system.

The preferred value system has its origins in the early years of the last century at a time when most resistors were carbon-graphite with relatively poor manufacturing tolerances.

The E series specify the preferred values for various tolerances. The number following the E specifies the number of logarithmic steps per decade. The table below is normalized for the decade between 100 and 1,000. The values in any decade can be derived by dividing or multiplying the table entries by powers of 10.

• E6: 20% resistors
• E12: 10% resistors
• E24: 5% resistors
• E48: 2% resistors
• E96: 1% resistors
• E192: 0.5%, 0.25%, 0.1% resistors

The E preferred value lists are the best way to insure one is stocking the optimum number of values for a given tolerance, in order with respect to what is actually available in the marketplace and certain real world practices.

E6 E12 E24 E48 E96 E192 100 100 100 100 100 100 101 102 102 104 105 105 105 106 107 107 109 110 110 110 110 111 113 113 114 115 115 115 117 118 118 120 120 120 121 121 121 123 124 124 126 127 127 127 129 130 130 132 130 133 133 133 135 137 137 138 140 140 140 142 143 143 145 150 150 150 147 147 147 149 150 150 152 154 154 154 156 158 158 160 160 162 162 162 164 165 165 167 169 169 169 172 174 174 176 180 180 178 178 178 180 182 182 184 187 187 187 189 191 191 193 200 196 196 196 198 200 200 203 205 205 205 208 210 210 213

E6 E12 E24 E48 E96 E192 220 220 220 215 215 215 218 221 221 223 226 226 226 229 232 232 234 240 237 237 237 240 243 243 246 249 249 249 252 255 255 258 270 270 261 261 261 264 267 267 271 274 274 274 277 280 280 284 300 287 287 287 291 294 294 298 301 301 301 305 309 309 312 330 330 330 316 316 316 320 324 324 328 332 332 332 336 340 340 344 360 348 348 348 352 357 357 361 365 365 365 370 374 374 379 390 390 383 383 383 388 392 392 397 402 402 402 407 412 412 417 430 422 422 422 427 432 432 437 442 442 442 448 453 453 459

E6 E12 E24 E48 E96 E192 470 470 470 464 464 464 470 475 475 481 487 487 487 493 499 499 505 510 511 511 511 517 523 523 530 536 536 536 542 549 549 556 560 560 562 562 562 569 576 576 583 590 590 590 597 604 604 612 620 619 619 619 626 634 634 642 649 649 649 657 665 665 673 680 680 680 681 681 681 690 698 698 706 715 715 715 723 732 732 741 750 750 750 750 759 768 768 777 787 787 787 796 806 806 816 820 820 825 825 825 835 845 845 856 866 866 866 876 887 887 898 910 909 909 909 920 931 931 942 953 953 953 965 976 976 988