Convert capacitance between farads, microfarads, nanofarads, picofarads, and other capacitor units with a quick equivalence list.
How to use our Capacitance Converter Calculator
- Enter the number in Capacitance value.
- Choose the starting unit under Convert from and the target unit under Convert to.
- Pick Result precision (significant figures) to control how many meaningful digits you want to see.
- Click Calculate to view Converted capacitance, Base value in farads, and the full Same value in common capacitor units list.
- Sanity-check the answer by comparing Converted capacitance with Base value in farads and the common-units list; for example, 1 uF should also read 1000 nF and 1,000,000 pF.
Definitions
Farad (F): The standard SI unit of capacitance. A capacitor has a capacitance of 1 farad when 1 coulomb changes its voltage by 1 volt.[1]
Millifarad (mF): One-thousandth of a farad, or 0.001 F.
Microfarad (uF): One-millionth of a farad, or 0.000001 F. This is a very common capacitor unit in electronics.
Nanofarad (nF): One-billionth of a farad, or 0.000000001 F.
Picofarad (pF): One-trillionth of a farad, or 0.000000000001 F. Small capacitors are often labeled in pF.
Femtofarad (fF): One-quadrillionth of a farad, or 0.000000000000001 F.
Significant figures: The number of meaningful digits shown in the result. This affects display rounding, not the underlying unit conversion.
Base value in farads: The internal value after the entered unit is converted into farads. All other listed units are scaled from this base.
Abfarad (abF) and statfarad (statF): Older CGS-related capacitance units that may appear in reference material but are much less common than uF, nF, and pF in everyday electronics.
Common mistakes and quick fixes
Mistake: Typing letters or symbols into Capacitance value , such as "47uF" instead of just the number.
Fix: Enter only the numeric amount in Capacitance value , then choose the unit separately in Convert from .
Mistake: Picking the wrong starting unit in Convert from , such as entering 4700 and leaving it on uF when the part is really 4700 pF.
Fix: Match Convert from to the unit you already have before reading Converted capacitance .
Mistake: Reading a rounded answer as exact because Result precision (significant figures) is set too low.
Fix: Increase Result precision (significant figures) if Converted capacitance needs more digits for homework, design notes, or datasheet comparisons.
Mistake: Thinking the calculator failed when Convert from and Convert to are the same unit.
Fix: That is valid; use Converted capacitance as a pass-through result and check Same value in common capacitor units for other equivalent forms.
Mistake: Confusing uF, nF, and pF when reading the Unit note or a capacitor label.
Fix: Use Same value in common capacitor units to compare the same capacitance across the most common capacitor units side by side.
Mistake: Entering a negative number in Capacitance value .
Fix: Use zero or a positive number only, because this converter treats capacitance as zero or greater.
Limitations & Key Assumptions / Boundary Conditions
- This tool converts units only. It does not predict voltage rating, tolerance, temperature behavior, or whether a real capacitor is a good part choice.
- Results depend on the unit you select in Convert from. If the original label was misread, the conversion will also be wrong.
- Result precision (significant figures) changes how numbers are displayed, so rounded results may look slightly different from a full-precision value.
- Very large or very small values may be shown in scientific notation when that is the clearest readable format.
- Legacy units such as abF and statF are included for reference, but most real electronics work uses uF, nF, or pF instead.
- The converter requires a nonnegative numeric Capacitance value. Blank, invalid, or negative entries are treated as input errors, not approximate guesses.
Methodology
How the conversion works
The calculator first changes your entered value into farads, then changes that farad value into the target unit.
value_F = value_in x unit_factor_to_F
value_out = value_F / target_factor_to_F
Unit factors used
1 mF = 1e-3 F
1 uF = 1e-6 F
1 nF = 1e-9 F
1 pF = 1e-12 F
1 fF = 1e-15 F
1 abF = 1e9 F
1 statF = 1.112650056e-12 F
Worked mini-example
If you enter 1 in Capacitance value, choose uF in Convert from, and choose nF in Convert to, the calculator first converts 1 uF to farads, then converts that farad value to nF.
value_F = 1 x 1e-6 = 0.000001 F
value_out = 0.000001 / 1e-9 = 1000 nF
That is why the result shows 1000 nF, and the common-units list can also show the same value as 0.001 mF and 1,000,000 pF.
How to read the outputs
Converted capacitance is the main answer in your chosen target unit. Base value in farads is the internal reference value used for the conversion. Same value in common capacitor units gives quick equivalents in F, mF, uF, nF, pF, and fF so you can compare with labels and datasheets more easily.
Assumptions used
The calculator assumes the entered number is a capacitance value with the exact unit selected in Convert from. It applies standard fixed unit factors and then rounds the displayed output to the selected number of significant figures. Real parts catalogs may still prefer certain unit styles, especially uF, nF, and pF, even when several forms are mathematically equivalent.