Ceramic Capacitor Code Calculator
Turn the number code on a ceramic or film capacitor, such as 104 or 472J, into pF, nF and µF.
How to read the code
The unit is picofarads. The first two digits are the value and the third is the number of zeros, so 104 is 10 followed by four zeros: 100,000 pF, which is 100 nF or 0.1 µF. A trailing letter gives the tolerance: J is ±5%, K is ±10% and M is ±20%. Values below 10 pF use R as the decimal point, as in 4R7 for 4.7 pF.
Frequently asked questions
What value is a 104 capacitor?
100 nF, which is 0.1 µF. It is the most common decoupling capacitor, placed right next to the power pins of ICs.
What do letters like J, K and M after the code mean?
They give the tolerance: J is ±5%, K is ±10% and M is ±20%. Z means +80% / −20%, common on low-cost ceramic capacitors.