What does 104 mean on a capacitor?

104 means 10 followed by 4 zeros in picofarads, so it equals 100000 pF, 100 nF, or 0.1 µF.

What does 473 mean on a capacitor?

473 means 47 followed by 3 zeros in picofarads, so it equals 47000 pF, 47 nF, or 0.047 µF.

What are capacitor tolerance letters?

Common capacitor tolerance letters include J for ±5%, K for ±10%, M for ±20%, F for ±1%, G for ±2%, and Z for +80%/-20%.

Capacitor Code Calculator — Decode 104, 473, pF nF µF

Capacitor Code Calculator

Decode ceramic capacitor markings like 104, 473, 2A104J and convert values between pF, nF, µF and F.

⚡ Quick rule: For 3-digit capacitor codes, the first two digits are the value and the third digit is the number of zeros in pF. Example: 104 = 10 × 10⁴ pF = 100 nF = 0.1 µF.

104

Capacitor Marking

Optional Tolerance

Preset Examples

Decoded Capacitance

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Valid code

Picofarads

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Nanofarads

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Microfarads

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µF

Farads

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Tolerance

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letter code

Voltage Code

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if detected

Capacitance Value

Input Unit

Tolerance Letter

Examples: 100 nF 10 nF 47 nF 0.1 µF

Nearest 3-Digit Code

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Capacitor marking

Exact pF

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calculated

Rounded pF

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code basis

Full Marking

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with tolerance

Value

From Unit

Quick:0.1 µF100 nF100000 pF

Equivalent Values

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same capacitance in common units

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µF

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📋 Common Capacitor Codes

Code	pF	nF	µF	Common Use
100	10 pF	0.01 nF	0.00001 µF	RF / timing
101	100 pF	0.1 nF	0.0001 µF	filtering
102	1,000 pF	1 nF	0.001 µF	signal coupling
103	10,000 pF	10 nF	0.01 µF	filtering
104	100,000 pF	100 nF	0.1 µF	IC decoupling
105	1,000,000 pF	1000 nF	1 µF	bulk bypass
222	2,200 pF	2.2 nF	0.0022 µF	snubber / filter
473	47,000 pF	47 nF	0.047 µF	audio / coupling

📚 How to Read Capacitor Markings

3-digit code First two digits are significant. Third digit is the multiplier in pF. 104 = 10 × 10⁴ pF = 100 nF.

Direct value markings Some capacitors are printed as 10n, 100n, 0.1µF or 1uF. This calculator also accepts direct pF, nF and µF style inputs.

Tolerance letters J = ±5%, K = ±10%, M = ±20%. Ceramic capacitors often use K or M; precision film capacitors may use F, G or J.

Voltage prefix Markings such as 2A104J may include a voltage code before the capacitance code. The calculator detects common prefixes but always verify the datasheet for safety-critical work.

What is a Capacitor Code Calculator?

A capacitor code calculator decodes printed capacitor markings into readable capacitance values. Small ceramic capacitors usually do not have enough space to print “0.1 µF”, so they use short numeric codes such as 104.

For most 3-digit capacitor markings, the value is expressed in picofarads. The first two digits are the base number, and the third digit tells how many zeros to add. This makes quick decoding possible even on very small components.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

104 means 10 followed by 4 zeros in picofarads. So 104 = 100,000 pF = 100 nF = 0.1 µF.

473 means 47 followed by 3 zeros in picofarads. So 473 = 47,000 pF = 47 nF = 0.047 µF.

For standard 3-digit ceramic capacitor codes, yes — the decoded number is in picofarads. Some capacitors print direct values such as 10n, 100n or 1µF instead.

These are tolerance letters. J means ±5%, K means ±10%, and M means ±20%.

💡 Tip: The most common bypass capacitor near IC power pins is 104, which equals 100 nF / 0.1 µF.