Capacitor Code Calculator

Continue in the tool

More pages for this tool

capacitor code chart

Capacitor code chart (101 to 106 and the E6 series)

The chart fits in six lines: 101 is 100 pF, 102 is 1 nF, 103 is 10 nF, 104 is 100 nF, 105 is 1 µF and 106 is 10 µF. In the tool, below the input fields, there is also the E6 series list from 10 pF to 10 µF; clicking a code loads that value into the reader.

The chart and the rules behind it

The six short lines run one and the same computation, XY × 10^Z pF, with XY equal to 10 and Z from 1 to 6. 101: 10 × 10 = 100 pF. 102: 10 × 100 = 1,000 pF. 103: 10,000 pF. 104: 100,000 pF. 105: 1,000,000 pF. 106: 10,000,000 pF. With a power of zero the code is just the number itself: 220 is 22 pF and 330 is 33 pF, which catches many people off guard because it looks like a big value.
The E6 series packs six digit pairs per decade: 10, 15, 22, 33, 47 and 68. That is why a chart of stock capacitors is really one sequence on repeat. In the 1 nF decade: 102 (1 nF), 152 (1.5 nF), 222 (2.2 nF), 332 (3.3 nF), 472 (4.7 nF), 682 (6.8 nF). In the next decade the last digit moves up to 3: 103, 153, 223, 333, 473, 683. The list in the tool runs from 100 (10 pF) up to 106 (10 µF).
The tolerance letters the tool recognizes are J (±5%), K (±10%), M (±20%), Z (-20% to +80%), C (±0.25 pF) and D (±0.5 pF); C and D are in picofarads and turn up on small values, such as 2R2C, which spans 1.95 to 2.45 pF. The letters F and G were left out because sources split between percentages and picofarads. When the third digit is 8 or 9 (multiplier 0.01 and 0.1), as in 479 = 4.7 pF, that is a convention used by some manufacturers for values under 10 pF; the tool decodes it but flags it as a convention.
The code has limits. It does not give the working voltage, which is printed on its own (like the 330V on a 473K 330V part), and it does not give the dielectric, the temperature rating or the polarity either. Two capacitors with the same 104 can be a ceramic and a film part, behaving quite differently. 4-digit codes and voltage codes such as 1H are outside the tool.

Chart rows

First row

Input: 101
Expected output: 100p 100pF

10 × 10^1 pF = 100 pF.

Second row

Input: 102
Expected output: 1n 1000pF

10 × 10^2 pF = 1,000 pF = 1 nF.

Third row

Input: 103
Expected output: 10n 10000pF

10 × 10^3 pF = 10 nF.

Entering microfarads

Input: 105
Expected output: 1µ 1000000pF

10 × 10^5 pF = 1 µF.

Last row

Input: 106
Expected output: 10µ 10000000pF

10 × 10^6 pF = 10 µF, the top of the tool E6 list.

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

What is the code for a 100 nF and a 1 µF capacitor?

The 100 nF part is 104 and the 1 µF part is 105. Both come from 10 plus the exponent: 100,000 pF is 10 × 10^4 and 1,000,000 pF is 10 × 10^5.

What is the E6 series for capacitors?

It is the standard set of values with six steps per decade: 10, 15, 22, 33, 47 and 68 (and their powers of ten). The list in the tool is built from those values.

Does the code tell the capacitor voltage?

No. The working voltage is printed separately, such as 50V or 330V, and the dielectric is not in the code either. Read the second marking on the body before using the part.

Why is 479 worth 4.7 pF and not a huge number?

Because some manufacturers treat an 8 or a 9 in the third place as multipliers of 0.01 and 0.1, for values below 10 pF. It is a convention, not part of the general rule, and the tool flags that when decoding.

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

The chart and the rules behind it

The six short lines run one and the same computation, XY × 10^Z pF, with XY equal to 10 and Z from 1 to 6. 101: 10 × 10 = 100 pF. 102: 10 × 100 = 1,000 pF. 103: 10,000 pF. 104: 100,000 pF. 105: 1,000,000 pF. 106: 10,000,000 pF. With a power of zero the code is just the number itself: 220 is 22 pF and 330 is 33 pF, which catches many people off guard because it looks like a big value.

The E6 series packs six digit pairs per decade: 10, 15, 22, 33, 47 and 68. That is why a chart of stock capacitors is really one sequence on repeat. In the 1 nF decade: 102 (1 nF), 152 (1.5 nF), 222 (2.2 nF), 332 (3.3 nF), 472 (4.7 nF), 682 (6.8 nF). In the next decade the last digit moves up to 3: 103, 153, 223, 333, 473, 683. The list in the tool runs from 100 (10 pF) up to 106 (10 µF).

The tolerance letters the tool recognizes are J (±5%), K (±10%), M (±20%), Z (-20% to +80%), C (±0.25 pF) and D (±0.5 pF); C and D are in picofarads and turn up on small values, such as 2R2C, which spans 1.95 to 2.45 pF. The letters F and G were left out because sources split between percentages and picofarads. When the third digit is 8 or 9 (multiplier 0.01 and 0.1), as in 479 = 4.7 pF, that is a convention used by some manufacturers for values under 10 pF; the tool decodes it but flags it as a convention.

The code has limits. It does not give the working voltage, which is printed on its own (like the 330V on a 473K 330V part), and it does not give the dielectric, the temperature rating or the polarity either. Two capacitors with the same 104 can be a ceramic and a film part, behaving quite differently. 4-digit codes and voltage codes such as 1H are outside the tool.

Chart rows

First row

Input: 101
Expected output: 100p 100pF

10 × 10^1 pF = 100 pF.

Second row

Input: 102
Expected output: 1n 1000pF

10 × 10^2 pF = 1,000 pF = 1 nF.

Third row

Input: 103
Expected output: 10n 10000pF

10 × 10^3 pF = 10 nF.

Entering microfarads

Input: 105
Expected output: 1µ 1000000pF

10 × 10^5 pF = 1 µF.

Last row

Input: 106
Expected output: 10µ 10000000pF

10 × 10^6 pF = 10 µF, the top of the tool E6 list.

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

What is the code for a 100 nF and a 1 µF capacitor?

The 100 nF part is 104 and the 1 µF part is 105. Both come from 10 plus the exponent: 100,000 pF is 10 × 10^4 and 1,000,000 pF is 10 × 10^5.

What is the E6 series for capacitors?

It is the standard set of values with six steps per decade: 10, 15, 22, 33, 47 and 68 (and their powers of ten). The list in the tool is built from those values.

Does the code tell the capacitor voltage?

No. The working voltage is printed separately, such as 50V or 330V, and the dielectric is not in the code either. Read the second marking on the body before using the part.

Capacitor Code Calculator

Continue in the tool

More pages for this tool

Capacitor code chart (101 to 106 and the E6 series)

The chart and the rules behind it

Chart rows

First row

Second row

Third row

Entering microfarads

Last row

Full tool FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is the code for a 100 nF and a 1 µF capacitor?

What is the E6 series for capacitors?

Does the code tell the capacitor voltage?

Why is 479 worth 4.7 pF and not a huge number?

Next steps

Capacitor Code Calculator

E6 series values, 10 pF to 10 µF

Continue in the tool

More pages for this tool

Capacitor code chart (101 to 106 and the E6 series)

The chart and the rules behind it

Chart rows

First row

Second row

Third row

Entering microfarads

Last row

Full tool FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is the code for a 100 nF and a 1 µF capacitor?

What is the E6 series for capacitors?

Does the code tell the capacitor voltage?

Why is 479 worth 4.7 pF and not a huge number?

Next steps

E6 series values, 10 pF to 10 µF