Capacitance Converter

Convert between farads, microfarads, nanofarads, and picofarads — for electronics, filters, and timing circuits.

Capacitance

F, μF, nF, pF

From

Result

1000

1 F = 1000 mF

Popular conversions

What Is a Capacitance Converter?

A capacitance converter translates a capacitor's charge-storing ability between prefixes — farads to microfarads, nanofarads to picofarads. Capacitance is how much charge a component stores per volt, and the SI unit is the farad (F). The farad is huge in practice, so real capacitors are almost always rated in microfarads (µF), nanofarads (nF), or picofarads (pF) — making prefix conversion a daily task in electronics.

This converter routes through the farad using exact power-of-ten prefixes. Because component markings and schematics mix µF, nF, and pF freely — and datasheets from different regions favour different prefixes — being able to translate, say, 0.1 µF into 100 nF instantly prevents a lot of design errors.

This is one category of the full Unit Converter — pair it with our percentage calculator or scientific calculator for related everyday maths.

How Capacitance Conversion Works

Everything routes through the farad

Each prefix has a fixed power-of-ten link to the farad. The converter normalises to farads, then projects to µF, nF, and pF.

Prefixes scale by 1,000

1 F = 10⁶ µF = 10⁹ nF = 10¹² pF. Between adjacent practical prefixes (µF, nF, pF) each step is a factor of 1,000.

Capacitance = charge per volt

C = Q/V. One farad stores one coulomb per volt — an enormous amount, which is why practical parts are sub-farad.

0.1 µF = 100 nF = 100,000 pF

The same capacitor is written differently across schematics. Fluent prefix conversion avoids misreading a value.

Core Capacitance Conversion Factors

Each step is a power of ten. Multiply to reach farads; divide to come back.

µF → nF

× 1000

One microfarad is 1,000 nanofarads. So 0.1 µF = 100 nF.

nF → pF

× 1000

One nanofarad is 1,000 picofarads. So 1 nF = 1,000 pF.

C = Q / V

farads

Capacitance is charge stored per volt — the defining relationship.

How to Use the Capacitance Converter

1
Enter the capacitance value
Type the capacitance you want to convert — a capacitor rating, a schematic value, a measured reading.
2
Choose the 'from' unit
Pick farads, microfarads, nanofarads, or picofarads as your starting prefix.
3
Choose the 'to' unit
Select the target prefix, or swap the two to reverse direction.
4
Read every prefix at once
The all-units table shows the capacitance across pF, nF, µF, and F together.

Key Capacitance Concepts

Farad

The SI unit of capacitance: one coulomb of charge stored per volt. Enormous in practice — a 1 F capacitor is large — so sub-units dominate.

Microfarad / nanofarad / picofarad

1 µF = 10⁻⁶ F, 1 nF = 10⁻⁹ F, 1 pF = 10⁻¹² F. The practical range for nearly all real-world capacitors.

Capacitance = charge ÷ voltage

C = Q/V. A larger capacitance stores more charge at the same voltage, smoothing supplies and setting time constants.

RC time constant

Capacitance with resistance sets timing: τ = R × C. Converting C to the right prefix is essential for filter and timing math.

Real-World Capacitance Conversions

🔋

Power smoothing

A 1,000 µF electrolytic smooths a supply; that's 1,000,000 nF. Large capacitances use microfarads.

🎚️

Audio filters

A 0.1 µF (100 nF) coupling cap is everywhere in audio. Schematics may write it either way.

📡

RF circuits

A 10 pF cap tunes a radio circuit. High-frequency work lives in picofarads.

⏱️

Timing circuits

A 555 timer with a 10 µF cap sets a delay via τ = RC. Converting C correctly sets the timing.

🔌

Decoupling

A 100 nF (0.1 µF) decoupling cap sits by every IC. The dual notation makes conversion fluency essential.

⚡

Supercapacitors

A 1 F supercapacitor is a million microfarads — rare territory where the farad itself is practical.

Best Practices for Capacitance Conversion

✓Know the µF/nF/pF triangle. 0.1 µF = 100 nF = 100,000 pF. Memorising these factor-of-1,000 steps prevents misreading a schematic value.
✓Carry the prefix precisely. A factor-of-1,000 slip turns a 100 nF cap into 100 µF or 100 pF — wrong by orders of magnitude for filtering or timing.
✓Convert before RC timing math. τ = R × C needs C in farads. Convert µF/nF/pF to farads before computing a time constant or cutoff frequency.
✓Mind voltage and type, not just value. Capacitors also have voltage ratings and types (ceramic, electrolytic). The converter handles value; the rest comes from the datasheet.
✓Watch decimal-vs-prefix notation. '0.1 µF' and '100 nF' are identical. Recognising equivalent notations avoids ordering or fitting the wrong part.

Common Capacitance Conversion Mistakes

Dropping a metric prefix

Reading nF as µF, or pF as nF, shifts capacitance 1,000-fold — ruining a filter's cutoff or a timer's delay.

Misreading 0.1 µF vs 100 nF

They're the same value. Treating them as different leads to ordering duplicate or wrong parts.

Using µF in RC math without converting

The time constant τ = RC needs farads. Plugging in microfarads without converting makes the timing off by a million.

Confusing capacitance with charge

Farads measure capacity to store charge per volt, not charge itself. Charge (coulombs) is capacitance × voltage.

Why Capacitance Conversion Matters

Capacitance sets power-supply smoothing, filter cutoffs, timing delays, and signal coupling — and because the farad is so large, every practical value lives in microfarads, nanofarads, or picofarads, written inconsistently across schematics. A prefix slip turns a 100 nF decoupling cap into 100 µF or 100 pF, breaking the circuit it was meant to support.

The notorious '0.1 µF equals 100 nF' equivalence trips up beginners and causes wrong-part orders. A converter that routes through the farad and shows pF, nF, µF, and F together makes those equivalences obvious and keeps filter, timing, and decoupling designs on track.

Built for electronics designers, hobbyists, repair technicians, and students converting between farads, microfarads, nanofarads, and picofarads.

Linear unit factors follow the BIPM SI brochure, the NIST Guide to the SI, and ISO 80000. Currency rates load live from open.er-api.com; crypto prices from CoinGecko. See our methodology and editorial policy. Educational only — not certified for regulated trading, settlement, medical, or aerospace use.

Capacitance Converter FAQs

Multiply microfarads by 1,000 to get nanofarads, since 1 µF = 1,000 nF. So a 0.1 µF capacitor is 100 nF, and 1 µF is 1,000 nF. To go to picofarads, multiply by 1,000 again (1 nF = 1,000 pF).

Yes, exactly. 0.1 microfarads equals 100 nanofarads equals 100,000 picofarads — they're three ways of writing the same capacitance. Schematics and datasheets use different prefixes by convention, which is why fluent conversion matters when sourcing or fitting parts.

The farad is the SI unit of capacitance, defined as one coulomb of charge stored per volt of potential difference (C = Q/V). It's a very large unit — a one-farad capacitor is physically big — so practical capacitors are rated in microfarads (10⁻⁶ F), nanofarads (10⁻⁹ F), or picofarads (10⁻¹² F).

The time constant is τ = R × C, with C in farads. A larger capacitance gives a longer time constant, so the circuit charges and discharges more slowly. To compute τ correctly you must convert the capacitor's µF, nF, or pF rating to farads first.

Because the farad is enormous relative to everyday components. Storing one coulomb per volt takes a physically large device, so typical capacitors hold tiny fractions of a farad — microfarads for power smoothing, nanofarads for coupling and filtering, and picofarads for radio-frequency tuning.

It uses exact metric-prefix definitions (1 F = 10⁶ µF = 10⁹ nF = 10¹² pF) and routes every conversion through the farad at full precision, so the result is exact to your input precision.