Loading Calculator...
Please wait a moment
Please wait a moment
Convert between all capacitance units: farads, millifarads, microfarads, nanofarads, and picofarads. Perfect for capacitor selection and circuit design.
Capacitance is the ability of a component or system to store electrical charge. Measured in farads (F), it represents the amount of charge stored per volt applied. Capacitors are essential components in electronics, used for energy storage, filtering, timing, coupling, and decoupling. The farad is a very large unit, so most practical capacitors are rated in microfarads (µF), nanofarads (nF), or picofarads (pF).
These are different scales of capacitance: 1 µF (microfarad) = 1,000 nF (nanofarads) = 1,000,000 pF (picofarads). The choice depends on the capacitor value and regional convention. European schematics often use nF, while American designs typically use µF and pF.
Electrolytic capacitors usually print the value directly (e.g., "100µF"). Ceramic capacitors often use a three-digit code where the first two digits are the value and the third is the number of zeros to add, all in picofarads (e.g., "104" = 10 + 4 zeros = 100,000 pF = 100 nF = 0.1 µF).
It depends on the application. For power supply filtering, you can often use a higher value. For timing circuits and oscillators, the exact value is critical. For decoupling, values within 2x are usually acceptable. Always consider voltage rating, temperature rating, and capacitor type (electrolytic, ceramic, film) when substituting.
The range of practical capacitor values spans 12 orders of magnitude (from pF to F). Using appropriate units makes values easier to read and work with. Writing "0.1 µF" is clearer than "100,000 pF" or "0.0000001 F", reducing errors in design and communication.
Some do, some don't. Electrolytic and tantalum capacitors are polarized and must be connected correctly or they can fail catastrophically. Ceramic, film, and most other types are non-polarized and can be connected either way. Always check the datasheet or markings on the capacitor body.