An electrical device with conductive plates separated by an insulating material called a dielectric.

Common types:
  • mica
  • ceramic
  • plastic film
  • electolytic

electolytic capacitors are polarized. Be careful!


Function

Essentially, a temporary battery, capable of storing up an electrical charge.

Operating Values

There are two ratings:
  1. A voltage rating, which specifies the maximum voltage that can be applied without damaging the component.
  2. A capacitance value, which is rated in farads and is typically printed on the capacitor itself



To determine the value of a capacitor:
The multiplier stands for how many zeros to add to the first two values.

The result is the capacitance value in picofarads (pF).

For capacitors less than 100pF, only a two digit number is printed on the capacitor, or a two-digit number followed by a "0". A 55pF capacitor may be marked as 55 or 550.




To use this table, just read across. For example, 1uF is same 1,000nF or 1,000,000pF.
uF/ MFD nF pF/ MMFD   uF/ MFD nF pF/ MMFD
1uF / MFD 1000nF 1000000pF(MMFD)   0.001uF / MFD 1nF 1000pF(MMFD)
0.82uF / MFD 820nF 820000pF (MMFD)   0.00082uF / MFD 0.82nF 820pF (MMFD)
0.8uF / MFD 800nF 800000pF (MMFD)   0.0008uF / MFD 0.8nF 800pF (MMFD)
0.7uF / MFD 700nF 700000pF (MMFD)   0.0007uF / MFD 0.7nF 700pF (MMFD)
0.68uF / MFD 680nF 680000pF (MMFD)   0.00068uF / MFD 0.68nF 680pF (MMFD)
0.6uF / MFD 600nF 600000pF (MMFD)   0.0006uF / MFD 0.6nF 600pF (MMFD)
0.56uF / MFD 560nF 560000pF (MMFD)   0.00056uF / MFD 0.56nF 560pF (MMFD)
0.5uF / MFD 500nF 500000pF (MMFD)   0.0005uF / MFD 0.5nF 500pF (MMFD)
0.47uF / MFD 470nF 470000pF (MMFD)   0.00047uF / MFD 0.47nF 470pF (MMFD)
0.4uF / MFD 400nF 400000pF (MMFD)   0.0004uF / MFD 0.4nF 400pF (MMFD)
0.39uF / MFD 390nF 390000pF (MMFD)   0.00039uF / MFD 0.39nF 390pF (MMFD)
0.33uF / MFD 330nF 330000pF (MMFD)   0.00033uF / MFD 0.33nF 330pF (MMFD)
0.3uF / MFD 300nF 300000pF (MMFD)   0.0003uF / MFD 0.3nF 300pF (MMFD)
0.27uF / MFD 270nF 270000pF (MMFD)   0.00027uF / MFD 0.27nF 270pF (MMFD)
0.25uF / MFD 250nF 250000pF (MMFD)   0.00025uF / MFD 0.25nF 250pF (MMFD)
0.22uF / MFD 220nF 220000pF (MMFD)   0.00022uF / MFD 0.22nF 220pF (MMFD)
0.2uF / MFD 200nF 200000pF (MMFD)   0.0002uF / MFD 0.2nF 200pF (MMFD)
0.18uF / MFD 180nF 180000pF (MMFD)   0.00018uF / MFD 0.18nF 180pF (MMFD)
0.15uF / MFD 150nF 150000pF (MMFD)   0.00015uF / MFD 0.15nF 150pF (MMFD)
0.12uF / MFD 120nF 120000pF (MMFD)   0.00012uF / MFD 0.12nF 120pF (MMFD)
0.1uF / MFD 100nF 100000pF (MMFD)   0.0001uF / MFD 0.1nF 100pF (MMFD)
0.082uF / MFD 82nF 82000pF (MMFD)   0.000082uF / MFD 0.082nF 82pF (MMFD)
0.08uF / MFD 80nF 80000pF (MMFD)   0.00008uF / MFD 0.08nF 80pF (MMFD)
0.07uF / MFD 70nF 70000pF (MMFD)   0.00007uF / MFD 0.07nF 70pF (MMFD)
0.068uF / MFD 68nF 68000pF (MMFD)   0.000068uF / MFD 0.068nF 68pF (MMFD)
0.06uF / MFD 60nF 60000pF (MMFD)   0.00006uF / MFD 0.06nF 60pF (MMFD)
0.056uF / MFD 56nF 56000pF (MMFD)   0.000056uF / MFD 0.056nF 56pF (MMFD)
0.05uF / MFD 50nF 50000pF (MMFD)   0.00005uF / MFD 0.05nF 50pF (MMFD)
0.047uF / MFD 47nF 47000pF (MMFD)   0.000047uF / MFD 0.047nF 47pF (MMFD)
0.04uF / MFD 40nF 40000pF (MMFD)   0.00004uF / MFD 0.04nF 40pF (MMFD)
0.039uF / MFD 39nF 39000pF (MMFD)   0.000039uF / MFD 0.039nF 39pF (MMFD)
0.033uF / MFD 33nF 33000pF (MMFD)   0.000033uF / MFD 0.033nF 33pF (MMFD)
0.03uF / MFD 30nF 30000pF (MMFD)   0.00003uF / MFD 0.03nF 30pF (MMFD)
0.027uF / MFD 27nF 27000pF (MMFD)   0.000027uF / MFD 0.027nF 27pF (MMFD)
0.025uF / MFD 25nF 25000pF (MMFD)   0.000025uF / MFD 0.025nF 25pF (MMFD)
0.022uF / MFD 22nF 22000pF (MMFD)   0.000022uF / MFD 0.022nF 22pF (MMFD)
0.02uF / MFD 20nF 20000pF (MMFD)   0.00002uF / MFD 0.02nF 20pF (MMFD)
0.018uF / MFD 18nF 18000pF (MMFD)   0.000018uF / MFD 0.018nF 18pF (MMFD)
0.015uF / MFD 15nF 15000pF (MMFD)   0.000015uF / MFD 0.015nF 15pF (MMFD)
0.012uF / MFD 12nF 12000pF (MMFD)   0.000012uF / MFD 0.012nF 12pF (MMFD)
0.01uF / MFD 10nF 10000pF (MMFD)   0.00001uF / MFD 0.01nF 10pF (MMFD)
0.0082uF / MFD 8.2nF 8200pF (MMFD)   0.0000082uF / MFD 0.0082nF 8.2pF (MMFD)
0.008uF / MFD 8nF 8000pF (MMFD)   0.000008uF / MFD 0.008nF 8pF (MMFD)
0.007uF / MFD 7nF 7000pF (MMFD)   0.000007uF / MFD 0.007nF 7pF (MMFD)
0.0068uF / MFD 6.8nF 6800pF (MMFD)   0.0000068uF / MFD 0.0068nF 6.8pF (MMFD)
0.006uF / MFD 6nF 6000pF (MMFD)   0.000006uF / MFD 0.006nF 6pF (MMFD)
0.0056uF / MFD 5.6nF 5600pF (MMFD)   0.0000056uF / MFD 0.0056nF 5.6pF (MMFD)
0.005uF / MFD 5nF 5000pF (MMFD)   0.000005uF / MFD 0.005nF 5pF (MMFD)
0.0047uF / MFD 4.7nF 4700pF (MMFD)   0.0000047uF / MFD 0.0047nF 4.7pF (MMFD)
0.004uF / MFD 4nF 4000pF (MMFD)   0.000004uF / MFD 0.004nF 4pF (MMFD)
0.0039uF / MFD 3.9nF 3900pF (MMFD)   0.0000039uF / MFD 0.0039nF 3.9pF (MMFD)
0.0033uF / MFD 3.3nF 3300pF (MMFD)   0.0000033uF / MFD 0.0033nF 3.3pF (MMFD)
0.003uF / MFD 3nF 3000pF (MMFD)   0.000003uF / MFD 0.003nF 3pF (MMFD)
0.0027uF / MFD 2.7nF 2700pF (MMFD)   0.0000027uF / MFD 0.0027nF 2.7pF (MMFD)
0.0025uF / MFD 2.5nF 2500pF (MMFD)   0.0000025uF / MFD 0.0025nF 2.5pF (MMFD)
0.0022uF / MFD 2.2nF 2200pF (MMFD)   0.0000022uF / MFD 0.0022nF 2.2pF (MMFD)
0.002uF / MFD 2nF 2000pF (MMFD)   0.000002uF / MFD 0.002nF 2pF (MMFD)
0.0018uF / MFD 1.8nF 1800pF (MMFD)   0.0000018uF / MFD 0.0018nF 1.8pF (MMFD)
0.0015uF / MFD 1.5nF 1500pF (MMFD)   0.0000015uF / MFD 0.0015nF 1.5pF (MMFD)
0.0012uF / MFD 1.2nF 1200pF (MMFD)   0.0000012uF / MFD 0.0012nF 1.2pF (MMFD)
0.001uF / MFD 1nF 1000pF (MMFD) ………. 0.000001uF / MFD 0.001nF 1pF (MMFD)