Capacitance Converter
Free Capacitance Converter for tech & electronics units. Enter a value to see equivalent measurements across systems.
Reviewed for accuracy by Manoj Kumar, Mathematics Educator
Capacitance Converter
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Formula: C = Q / V | E = 0.5 x C x V^2 | 1 F = 10^6 uF = 10^9 nF = 10^12 pF
Worked example โ 47 nF = 0.047 uF = 47,000 pF
Formula
C = Q / V | E = 0.5 x C x V^2 | 1 F = 10^6 uF = 10^9 nF = 10^12 pF
Capacitance (C) is the ratio of charge (Q) to voltage (V). The farad is the SI unit, but practical capacitors use sub-units: microfarads (uF = 10^-6 F), nanofarads (nF = 10^-9 F), and picofarads (pF = 10^-12 F). Energy stored equals half the capacitance times voltage squared.
Worked Examples
Example 1: Capacitor Unit Conversion
Problem:Convert a 47 nF ceramic capacitor value to microfarads and picofarads.
Solution:47 nF to uF: 47 / 1000 = 0.047 uF 47 nF to pF: 47 x 1000 = 47,000 pF
Result:47 nF = 0.047 uF = 47,000 pF
Example 2: Energy Storage Calculation
Problem:Calculate the energy stored in a 2200 uF capacitor charged to 25V.
Solution:E = 0.5 x C x V^2 C = 2200 uF = 0.0022 F E = 0.5 x 0.0022 x 625 E = 0.6875 joules
Result:2200 uF at 25V stores 0.6875 joules of energy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is capacitance and what does it measure?
Capacitance measures a component's ability to store electrical charge. It is defined as the ratio of the electric charge stored on a conductor to the voltage across it (C = Q/V). The unit of capacitance is the farad (F), named after Michael Faraday. One farad is the capacitance of a device that stores one coulomb of charge per volt. In practice, most capacitors are measured in microfarads, nanofarads, or picofarads because one farad is an extremely large capacitance.
How much energy does a capacitor store?
The energy stored in a capacitor is calculated with the formula E = 0.5 times C times V squared, where E is energy in joules, C is capacitance in farads, and V is voltage across the capacitor. For example, a 1000 uF capacitor charged to 12 volts stores 0.5 times 0.001 times 144 = 0.072 joules. Energy increases with the square of voltage, so doubling the voltage quadruples the stored energy. This relationship is important for power supply design and safety considerations.
What factors affect the capacitance of a capacitor?
Three main factors determine capacitance: the area of the overlapping plates (larger area means higher capacitance), the distance between the plates (smaller distance means higher capacitance), and the dielectric material between the plates (higher dielectric constant means higher capacitance). The formula is C = epsilon times A divided by d, where epsilon is the permittivity of the dielectric, A is the plate area, and d is the plate separation. This is why different capacitor types use various materials and construction methods to achieve different capacitance ranges.
References
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