Capacitance Converter

Capacitance is a fundamental electrical property that measures a component's ability to store electrical charge. Named after Michael Faraday, the unit of capacitance is the Farad (F), representing the storage of one Coulomb of charge at one Volt of potential difference. In practical electronics, capacitors range from tiny picofarad values in high-frequency circuits to massive Farad-level supercapacitors used for energy storage. This comprehensive capacitance converter helps engineers, technicians, and hobbyists quickly convert between the various unit prefixes used in everyday electronics work.

The Farad: An Impractically Large Unit

One Farad is an enormous amount of capacitance - far larger than typical electronic components require. A 1 Farad capacitor storing just 5 Volts holds 12.5 Joules of energy, enough to produce a dangerous discharge. Most everyday capacitors are measured in microfarads (µF, one millionth of a Farad), nanofarads (nF, one billionth of a Farad), or picofarads (pF, one trillionth of a Farad). However, modern supercapacitors and ultracapacitors can reach hundreds or even thousands of Farads, finding use in electric vehicles, power backup systems, and regenerative braking applications.

Microfarads: The Standard Working Unit

Microfarads (µF) are the most commonly used capacitance unit in general electronics. Electrolytic capacitors for power supply filtering typically range from 10 µF to 10,000 µF. Coupling and bypass capacitors in audio circuits often fall between 0.1 µF and 100 µF. Motor run and start capacitors for appliances are specified in microfarads, typically 5 to 100 µF depending on motor size. When reading older documentation, you may see "MF" or "mF" (confusingly) used to mean microfarads rather than the technically correct millifarads - always verify from context.

Nanofarads and Picofarads: High-Frequency Applications

Smaller capacitors measured in nanofarads (nF) and picofarads (pF) dominate radio frequency, timing, and precision analog circuits. Ceramic disc capacitors commonly come in values like 100 pF, 470 pF, or 10 nF. RF tuning circuits may use variable capacitors in the 10-500 pF range. Crystal oscillator load capacitors typically require 15-22 pF. High-frequency decoupling near integrated circuits uses 100 nF (0.1 µF) capacitors. Understanding these small values and their conversions is essential for anyone working with communication systems, timing circuits, or precision analog designs.

Capacitance Unit Conversion Reference

• 1 Farad (F) = 1,000,000 µF = 1,000,000,000 nF = 10¹² pF
• 1 Microfarad (µF) = 1,000 nF = 1,000,000 pF = 10⁻⁶ F
• 1 Nanofarad (nF) = 1,000 pF = 0.001 µF = 10⁻⁹ F
• 1 Picofarad (pF) = 0.001 nF = 10⁻⁶ µF = 10⁻¹² F
• Common equivalent: 0.1 µF = 100 nF = 100,000 pF

Practical Applications

• Power Supplies: Filtering ripple with electrolytic capacitors (µF to mF range)
• Audio Circuits: Coupling and tone control capacitors (nF to µF)
• RF Design: Tuning and matching networks (pF range)
• Timing Circuits: RC time constant calculations with 555 timers
• Motor Starting: AC motor run and start capacitors
• Energy Storage: Supercapacitor applications (F range)