Capacitor Code Calculator

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104 capacitor value

104 capacitor value: what does it mean?

The 104 stamped on a ceramic or polyester capacitor does not mean 104 pF. The digits 1 and 0 make the 10, the 4 says how many zeros to append, and the value is 10 × 10,000 = 100,000 pF, which is the same as 100 nF or 0.1 µF. Type 104 into the code field of the tool and all four units show up at once.

How 104 turns into 100 nF

The 3-digit rule is XYZ = XY × 10^Z pF. In 104, XY is 10 and Z is 4, so 10 × 10^4 = 100,000 pF. Since 1 nF is 1,000 pF, dividing by a thousand gives 100 nF, and dividing again gives 0.1 µF. The classic slip is to read the three digits as a single number: a 104 pF part could not even be written in 3 digits, because the closest value, 100 pF, is printed as 101.
A letter after the digits is the tolerance, and it leaves the nominal value alone. Applied to the 100 nF of a 104: 104J is ±5%, from 95 to 105 nF; 104K is ±10%, from 90 to 110 nF; 104M is ±20%, from 80 to 120 nF; 104Z runs from -20% to +80%, that is, from 80 to 180 nF. The Z window is lopsided, so a 104Z that measures 150 nF is still inside what the maker promises.
Changing one digit swaps the part for one ten times larger or smaller. The 103 is 10 × 10^3 = 10,000 pF = 10 nF, and the 105 is 10 × 10^5 = 1,000,000 pF = 1 µF. In an RC filter with the same resistor, the cutoff frequency drops in proportion to how much the capacitance grows, so mixing up 104 and 103 moves the cutoff by a factor of ten. The 224, at 22 × 10^4 pF, is 220 nF, or 2.2 times the 104.

Checked examples

Plain reading of 104

Input: 104
Expected output: 100n 100000pF

10 × 10^4 pF = 100,000 pF = 100 nF = 0.1 µF.

With the letter J

Input: 104J
Expected output: 100n 100000pF

Same nominal value; the real part may measure from 95 to 105 nF.

One step down

Input: 103
Expected output: 10n 10000pF

10 × 10^3 pF = 10 nF, a tenth of the 104.

One step up

Input: 105
Expected output: 1µ 1000000pF

10 × 10^5 pF = 1 µF, ten times the 104.

A different digit pair

Input: 224
Expected output: 220n 220000pF

22 × 10^4 pF = 220 nF.

Full tool FAQ

What is the value of a 104 capacitor?

104 is 10 × 10⁴ pF = 100,000 pF, which is 100 nF or 0.1 µF. It is not 104 pF. The same holds for other codes: the first two digits are the value and the third is the number of zeros.

How do I read a capacitor's 3-digit code?

What are capacitors 102, 103, 105, 224 and 473 worth?

What do the letters J, K and M after the code mean?

How do I convert pF, nF and µF?

What is 4n7, n47 or 4u7 on a capacitor?

What does 2R2 or 4R7 mean on a capacitor?

And a third digit of 8 or 9, as in 479?

Does the code give the capacitor's voltage?

How do I find the code for a 220 nF or 0.15 µF capacitor?

Frequently asked questions

Does a 104 capacitor have 104 pF?

No. The 104 is a code: the final 4 is the power of ten. The arithmetic gives 10 × 10^4 = 100,000 pF, which equals 100 nF. A bare number is read as picofarads only when the unit is written next to it, as in 100pF.

How many nF and µF is a 104 capacitor?

It is 100 nF and 0.1 µF. Starting from 100,000 pF: dividing by 1,000 gives 100 nF, and dividing by 1,000,000 gives 0.1 µF. In RKM notation the same part is written 100n.

What does the letter in 104K or 104M mean?

It is the tolerance. K allows ±10% (90 to 110 nF), M allows ±20% (80 to 120 nF), J allows ±5% (95 to 105 nF) and Z allows -20% to +80% (80 to 180 nF). The letter plays no part in working out the value.

Can I swap a 104 for a 103 or a 105?

Not without redoing the circuit math. The 103 is 10 nF, a tenth of the 104, and the 105 is 1 µF, ten times more. The three look alike on the body but differ by an order of magnitude.

Next steps

C	±0.25 pF
D	±0.5 pF
J	±5%
K	±10%
M	±20%
Z	−20% / +80%

±0.25 pF

±0.5 pF

±5%

±10%

±20%

−20% / +80%

Value	RKM	pF
10 pF	10p	10
15 pF	15p	15
22 pF	22p	22
33 pF	33p	33
47 pF	47p	47
68 pF	68p	68
100 pF	100p	100
150 pF	150p	150
220 pF	220p	220
330 pF	330p	330
470 pF	470p	470
680 pF	680p	680
1 nF	1n	1,000
1.5 nF	1n5	1,500
2.2 nF	2n2	2,200
3.3 nF	3n3	3,300
4.7 nF	4n7	4,700
6.8 nF	6n8	6,800
10 nF	10n	10,000
15 nF	15n	15,000
22 nF	22n	22,000
33 nF	33n	33,000
47 nF	47n	47,000
68 nF	68n	68,000
100 nF	100n	100,000
150 nF	150n	150,000
220 nF	220n	220,000
330 nF	330n	330,000
470 nF	470n	470,000
680 nF	680n	680,000
1 µF	1µ	1,000,000
1.5 µF	1µ5	1,500,000
2.2 µF	2µ2	2,200,000
3.3 µF	3µ3	3,300,000
4.7 µF	4µ7	4,700,000
6.8 µF	6µ8	6,800,000
10 µF	10µ	10,000,000

Value

Code

RKM

10 pF

10p

15 pF

15p

22 pF

22p

33 pF

33p

47 pF

47p

68 pF

68p

100 pF

100p

100

150 pF

150p

150

220 pF

220p

220

330 pF

330p

330

470 pF

470p

470

680 pF

680p

680

1 nF

1,000

1.5 nF

1n5

1,500

2.2 nF

2n2

2,200

3.3 nF

3n3

3,300

4.7 nF

4n7

4,700

6.8 nF

6n8

6,800

10 nF

10n

10,000

15 nF

15n

15,000

22 nF

22n

22,000

33 nF

33n

33,000

47 nF

47n

47,000

68 nF

68n

68,000

100 nF

100n

100,000

150 nF

150n

150,000

220 nF

220n

220,000

330 nF

330n

330,000

470 nF

470n

470,000

680 nF

680n

680,000

1 µF

1µ

1,000,000

1.5 µF

1µ5

1,500,000

2.2 µF

2µ2

2,200,000

3.3 µF

3µ3

3,300,000

4.7 µF

4µ7

4,700,000

6.8 µF

6µ8

6,800,000

10 µF

10µ

10,000,000

104 capacitor value: what does it mean?

How 104 turns into 100 nF

The 3-digit rule is XYZ = XY × 10^Z pF. In 104, XY is 10 and Z is 4, so 10 × 10^4 = 100,000 pF. Since 1 nF is 1,000 pF, dividing by a thousand gives 100 nF, and dividing again gives 0.1 µF. The classic slip is to read the three digits as a single number: a 104 pF part could not even be written in 3 digits, because the closest value, 100 pF, is printed as 101.

A letter after the digits is the tolerance, and it leaves the nominal value alone. Applied to the 100 nF of a 104: 104J is ±5%, from 95 to 105 nF; 104K is ±10%, from 90 to 110 nF; 104M is ±20%, from 80 to 120 nF; 104Z runs from -20% to +80%, that is, from 80 to 180 nF. The Z window is lopsided, so a 104Z that measures 150 nF is still inside what the maker promises.

Changing one digit swaps the part for one ten times larger or smaller. The 103 is 10 × 10^3 = 10,000 pF = 10 nF, and the 105 is 10 × 10^5 = 1,000,000 pF = 1 µF. In an RC filter with the same resistor, the cutoff frequency drops in proportion to how much the capacitance grows, so mixing up 104 and 103 moves the cutoff by a factor of ten. The 224, at 22 × 10^4 pF, is 220 nF, or 2.2 times the 104.

Checked examples

Plain reading of 104

Input: 104
Expected output: 100n 100000pF

10 × 10^4 pF = 100,000 pF = 100 nF = 0.1 µF.

With the letter J

Input: 104J
Expected output: 100n 100000pF

Same nominal value; the real part may measure from 95 to 105 nF.

One step down

Input: 103
Expected output: 10n 10000pF

10 × 10^3 pF = 10 nF, a tenth of the 104.

One step up

Input: 105
Expected output: 1µ 1000000pF

10 × 10^5 pF = 1 µF, ten times the 104.

A different digit pair

Input: 224
Expected output: 220n 220000pF

22 × 10^4 pF = 220 nF.

Full tool FAQ

What is the value of a 104 capacitor?

104 is 10 × 10⁴ pF = 100,000 pF, which is 100 nF or 0.1 µF. It is not 104 pF. The same holds for other codes: the first two digits are the value and the third is the number of zeros.

How do I read a capacitor's 3-digit code?

What are capacitors 102, 103, 105, 224 and 473 worth?

What do the letters J, K and M after the code mean?

How do I convert pF, nF and µF?

What is 4n7, n47 or 4u7 on a capacitor?

What does 2R2 or 4R7 mean on a capacitor?

And a third digit of 8 or 9, as in 479?

Does the code give the capacitor's voltage?

How do I find the code for a 220 nF or 0.15 µF capacitor?

Frequently asked questions

Does a 104 capacitor have 104 pF?

How many nF and µF is a 104 capacitor?

It is 100 nF and 0.1 µF. Starting from 100,000 pF: dividing by 1,000 gives 100 nF, and dividing by 1,000,000 gives 0.1 µF. In RKM notation the same part is written 100n.

What does the letter in 104K or 104M mean?

Can I swap a 104 for a 103 or a 105?

Not without redoing the circuit math. The 103 is 10 nF, a tenth of the 104, and the 105 is 1 µF, ten times more. The three look alike on the body but differ by an order of magnitude.

Capacitor Code Calculator

Continue in the tool

More pages for this tool

104 capacitor value: what does it mean?

How 104 turns into 100 nF

Checked examples

Plain reading of 104

With the letter J

One step down

One step up

A different digit pair

Full tool FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does a 104 capacitor have 104 pF?

How many nF and µF is a 104 capacitor?

What does the letter in 104K or 104M mean?

Can I swap a 104 for a 103 or a 105?

Next steps

Capacitor Code Calculator

E6 series values, 10 pF to 10 µF

Continue in the tool

More pages for this tool

104 capacitor value: what does it mean?

How 104 turns into 100 nF

Checked examples

Plain reading of 104

With the letter J

One step down

One step up

A different digit pair

Full tool FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does a 104 capacitor have 104 pF?

How many nF and µF is a 104 capacitor?

What does the letter in 104K or 104M mean?

Can I swap a 104 for a 103 or a 105?

Next steps

E6 series values, 10 pF to 10 µF