Reading a Capacitor's Value

Reading a Capacitor's Value

• Capacitor codes are similar to resistor codes. But with capacitors, the numbers are usually printed on the component, so you don't have to remember which colors stand for which numbers.
• Usually, a capacitor's nominal value in picofarads (pF) is indicated by three numbers on the capacitor's body.
  • The first two numbers represent the first and second digits of the nominal value. The third number represents the number of zeroes following those first two digits.
  • Example: If a capacitor's numeric code is 472, then the nominal value is 4700 pF, which is the same as 4.7 nF.

    
    

    Capacitor Tolerance Codes

    • Often the numeric code on a capacitor will be followed by a letter that indicates the capacitor's tolerance rating. Here are the tolerance letters that you'll see most often:
      

      Letter	Tolerance Rating
      F	±1%
      G	±2%
      J	±5%
      K	±10%
      M	±20%