Picofarads to Nanofarads Converter

How to Convert Picofarads to Nanofarads

To convert a capacitance measurement from picofarads to nanofarads, divide the capacitance value by the conversion factor. Since one picofarad is equal to 0.001 nanofarads, you can use this formula:

The capacitance in nanofarads is equal to the picofarads divided by 1,000.

How Many Nanofarads Are in a Picofarad?

There are 0.001 nanofarads in one picofarad, which is why we use this value in the formula above.

What Is a Picofarad?

The picofarad (symbol: pF) is a unit of electrical capacitance equal to one trillionth (10−¹²) of a farad. The prefix "pico" comes from the Spanish "pico" meaning small quantity, and denotes a factor of 10−¹² in the metric system. Picofarads are the standard unit for very small capacitances, commonly found in radio frequency (RF) circuits, antenna matching networks, oscillator circuits, and high-speed digital logic. Small ceramic capacitors, trimmer capacitors, and the parasitic capacitances of circuit board traces and semiconductor junctions are typically measured in picofarads. In older notation, the picofarad was sometimes called a "micro-microfarad" (μμF) or abbreviated as "mmf" or "pfd." The modern standard symbol is pF. Typical applications include RF tuning circuits (1–500 pF), oscillator feedback networks (10–100 pF), and ESD protection devices. The capacitance between adjacent pins on an integrated circuit package is typically in the range of 1–5 pF.

One picofarad is equal to:

• 10^-12 farads (F)
• 10^-9 millifarads (mF)
• 0.000001 microfarads (μF)
• 0.001 nanofarads (nF)
• 10^-21 abfarads (abF)
• 0.8988 statfarads (stF)

What Is a Nanofarad?

The nanofarad (symbol: nF) is a unit of electrical capacitance equal to one billionth (10−&sup9;) of a farad, or equivalently one thousandth of a microfarad. The prefix "nano" comes from the Greek "nanos" meaning dwarf, and denotes a factor of 10−&sup9;. Nanofarads are commonly used for small ceramic capacitors, film capacitors, and multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) found in high-frequency circuits, RF applications, and signal filtering. Typical nanofarad-range capacitors are used in radio tuning circuits, noise filtering, and coupling/decoupling in digital circuits. The nanofarad is particularly popular in European electronics notation, where it bridges the gap between microfarads and picofarads. For example, a 4,700 pF capacitor is more conveniently expressed as 4.7 nF, and a 0.047 μF capacitor equals 47 nF. In capacitor marking codes (such as the three-digit code used on ceramic capacitors), values are typically given in picofarads, but converting to nanofarads often provides more intuitive numbers for circuit designers.

One nanofarad is equal to:

• 10^-9 farads (F)
• 0.000001 millifarads (mF)
• 0.001 microfarads (μF)
• 1,000 picofarads (pF)
• 10^-18 abfarads (abF)
• 898.755 statfarads (stF)

Understanding Capacitance

Capacitance is a fundamental electrical property that describes a component's ability to store electrical energy in an electric field. A capacitor, the component that exhibits capacitance, consists of two conductive plates separated by an insulating material called a dielectric.

When a voltage is applied across a capacitor, positive charge accumulates on one plate and negative charge on the other, creating an electric field in the dielectric. The capacitance (C) is defined as the ratio of the electric charge (Q) stored on each plate to the voltage (V) across the capacitor: C = Q / V.

The SI unit of capacitance is the farad (F), named after Michael Faraday. One farad equals the capacitance when one coulomb of charge produces one volt of potential difference. In practice, a farad is an extremely large unit, so capacitance values in electronic circuits are typically expressed in sub-multiples: millifarads (mF), microfarads (μF), nanofarads (nF), and picofarads (pF).

SI vs. CGS Units

The International System of Units (SI) uses the farad and its metric prefixed sub-multiples. The older centimetre–gram–second (CGS) system includes two capacitance units: the abfarad (from the electromagnetic sub-system, equal to 10&sup9; farads) and the statfarad (from the electrostatic sub-system, approximately 1.1126 × 10−¹² farads).

While CGS units are largely obsolete in modern engineering, they still appear in some physics textbooks and older scientific literature. Understanding the conversion between these systems is important for interpreting historical data and theoretical calculations.

Factors Affecting Capacitance

• Plate area — Larger plate area increases capacitance
• Distance between plates — Smaller separation increases capacitance
• Dielectric material — Higher dielectric constant (κ) increases capacitance
• Temperature — Can affect the dielectric constant and thus capacitance

Common Capacitance Values in Electronics

• Supercapacitors: 0.1 F to 3,000+ F
• Electrolytic capacitors: 0.1 μF to 100,000 μF
• Film capacitors: 1 nF to 100 μF
• Ceramic capacitors: 1 pF to 100 μF
• Trimmer/variable capacitors: 1 pF to 500 pF

Practical Tips for Capacitance Conversion

• When working with SI capacitance units (F, mF, μF, nF, pF), remember that each step is a factor of 1,000: 1 F = 1,000 mF = 1,000,000 μF = 1,000,000,000 nF = 1,000,000,000,000 pF.
• To convert between adjacent SI prefix levels, simply move the decimal point three places. For example, 4,700 pF = 4.7 nF = 0.0047 μF.
• Capacitor markings on small components (like ceramic capacitors) are often in picofarads using a three-digit code. The first two digits are significant figures and the third is the multiplier (number of zeros). For example, "473" means 47,000 pF = 47 nF.
• When reading schematics, pay close attention to the unit prefix. Confusing μF and nF (a factor of 1,000 difference) is a common source of circuit errors.
• For CGS units (abfarads and statfarads), remember that 1 abfarad = 10&sup9; F is enormous, while 1 statfarad ≈ 1.1126 pF is tiny. These units are rarely used in modern practice.
• Online calculators and conversion tools are helpful, but always double-check critical calculations by hand, especially for precision applications in filter design or timing circuits.

Picofarads to Nanofarads Conversion Table

The following table shows conversions from picofarads to nanofarads.

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