Reading The Value Of A Capacitor - Three Digit Number Code

A capacitor with
its capacitance
already indicated

Capacitors like the electrolytic capacitor have their capacitance already indicated like the one on the left. Other capacitors use number codes to indicate their capacitance. The capacitor on the right has a 3 digit number code. 

A capacitor with a 3-digit number code

How do you read these codes?











Three Number Code:

Three digit number codes are always in picofarads(pF)

The first two numbers are the first 2 digits. The third digit is the multiplier.

Example: What is the reading of this ceramic capacitor?

1 and 5 are the first two digits. 




Based on the table, 4 corresponds to 10 000.

Therefore, the capacitance of this capacitor is 
150 000 pF.

What if you want to know the capacitance in nanofarads(nF)?

Remember: 1 pF = 1.0 X 10 ^-12    Farad

                  1 nF = 1.0 X 10 ^-9   Farad

 Get the difference of 12 and 9. It is 3.

 150 000 pF

 Move 3 spaces to the left and you'll get 150 nF.