Electrostatic Capacitance Converter

Convert between farad, microfarad, nanofarad, picofarad, and other capacitance units with scientific precision.

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Electrostatic Capacitance Units Explained

Farad (F)

The SI unit of electrical capacitance, defined as one coulomb of charge per volt. Named after Michael Faraday. 1 F = 1 C/V.

Common uses: Large capacitors, energy storage, power factor correction, supercapacitors.

Microfarad (µF)

One millionth of a farad. 1 µF = 10⁻⁶ F. The most commonly used unit in practical electronics.

Common uses: Electrolytic capacitors, filter circuits, power supplies, audio equipment.

Nanofarad (nF)

One billionth of a farad. 1 nF = 10⁻⁹ F. Commonly used in signal and coupling circuits.

Common uses: Film capacitors, coupling capacitors, decoupling, RF circuits, oscillators.

Picofarad (pF)

One trillionth of a farad. 1 pF = 10⁻¹² F. Used for high-frequency and low-capacitance applications.

Common uses: Ceramic capacitors, RF tuning, parasitic capacitance, high-frequency circuits.

Millifarad (mF)

One thousandth of a farad. 1 mF = 10⁻³ F. Used for moderate capacitance values.

Common uses: Large electrolytic capacitors, filter networks, timing circuits.

Coulomb/volt (C/V)

Alternative SI expression of capacitance, directly from the definition of capacitance. 1 C/V = 1 F.

Application: Charge storage calculations, capacitor design, electrical energy calculations.

Kilofarad (kF)

One thousand farads. 1 kF = 1,000 F. Used for supercapacitors and energy storage systems.

Common uses: Energy harvesting, backup power, supercapacitor banks, power conditioning.

Femtofarad (fF)

One quadrillionth of a farad. 1 fF = 10⁻¹⁵ F. Used for parasitic and intrinsic capacitances.

Common uses: IC interconnect analysis, quantum devices, nano-electronics, parasitic extraction.

Abfarad (abF)

CGS electromagnetic unit of capacitance. 1 abF = 10⁹ F. Extremely large unit in CGS-emu system.

Application: Legacy CGS calculations, high-capacitance measurements in historical systems.

Statfarad (stF)

CGS electrostatic unit of capacitance. 1 stF ≈ 1.112 × 10⁻¹² F. Part of CGS-esu system.

Application: Theoretical electrostatics, CGS-esu calculations, academic physics.

Capacitance Applications & Typical Values

  • Film capacitor: 10 nF to 100 µF (stable, low leakage)
  • Electrolytic capacitor: 1 µF to 10 mF (high capacitance, polarized)
  • Ceramic capacitor: 1 pF to 100 µF (compact, temperature dependent)
  • Supercapacitor: 0.1 F to 5000 F (energy storage, long lifetime)
  • IC decoupling: 100 nF per power pin (ceramic, close to IC)
  • PCB trace-to-ground: 0.1-10 pF per cm (parasitic)
  • Parallel plate capacitor: C = ε₀εᵣA/d (where A is area, d is distance)
  • Timing RC circuit: t = 0.693 × R × C (for 50% discharge)
  • Filter cutoff frequency: f = 1/(2πRC) for RC low-pass filter
  • RC time constant: τ = R × C (reaches 63% in one time constant)

Capacitor Type Selection Guide

  • Ceramic: Best for high-frequency decoupling, small size, low cost
  • Film: Best for filtering, audio circuits, stable, no polarity required
  • Electrolytic: Best for large capacitance, power supplies, but polarized
  • Supercapacitor: Best for energy storage, backup power, extreme capacitance
  • Mica: Precision applications, stable, expensive, limited sizes
  • Tantalum: High capacitance density, stable, expensive, avoid shorts