Engineering Reference
Standard Capacitor Values Reference
Preferred E6, E12 and E24 capacitor values by decade with pF, nF and µF equivalents, tolerance context, nominal-value selection boundaries, and practical availability notes.
Preferred Series Overview
| Series | Values/decade | Typical context | Normalized values | Applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E6 | 6 | ±20% | 1, 1.5, 2.2, 3.3, 4.7, 6.8 | Electrolytic capacitors, bulk capacitance, broad decoupling, low precision timing |
| E12 | 12 | ±10% | 1, 1.2, 1.5, 1.8, 2.2, 2.7, 3.3, 3.9, 4.7, 5.6, 6.8, 8.2 | General-purpose ceramic, film, electrolytic, and timing capacitor selection |
| E24 | 24 | ±5% | 1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 1.6, 1.8, 2, 2.2, 2.4, 2.7, 3, 3.3, 3.6, 3.9, 4.3, 4.7, 5.1, 5.6, 6.2, 6.8, 7.5, 8.2, 9.1 | Film capacitors, precision timing, analog filters, tolerance-sensitive selection |
Values by Decade
| Series | Decade | Preferred values |
|---|---|---|
| E6 | 1 pF to 6.8 pF | 1 pF, 1.5 pF, 2.2 pF, 3.3 pF, 4.7 pF, 6.8 pF |
| E6 | 10 pF to 68 pF | 10 pF, 15 pF, 22 pF, 33 pF, 47 pF, 68 pF |
| E6 | 100 pF to 680 pF | 100 pF, 150 pF, 220 pF, 330 pF, 470 pF, 680 pF |
| E6 | 1 nF to 6.8 nF | 1 nF, 1.5 nF, 2.2 nF, 3.3 nF, 4.7 nF, 6.8 nF |
| E6 | 10 nF to 68 nF | 10 nF, 15 nF, 22 nF, 33 nF, 47 nF, 68 nF |
| E6 | 100 nF to 680 nF | 100 nF, 150 nF, 220 nF, 330 nF, 470 nF, 680 nF |
| E6 | 1 uF to 6.8 uF | 1 uF, 1.5 uF, 2.2 uF, 3.3 uF, 4.7 uF, 6.8 uF |
| E6 | 10 uF to 68 uF | 10 uF, 15 uF, 22 uF, 33 uF, 47 uF, 68 uF |
| E12 | 1 pF to 8.2 pF | 1 pF, 1.2 pF, 1.5 pF, 1.8 pF, 2.2 pF, 2.7 pF, 3.3 pF, 3.9 pF, 4.7 pF, 5.6 pF, 6.8 pF, 8.2 pF |
| E12 | 10 pF to 82 pF | 10 pF, 12 pF, 15 pF, 18 pF, 22 pF, 27 pF, 33 pF, 39 pF, 47 pF, 56 pF, 68 pF, 82 pF |
| E12 | 100 pF to 820 pF | 100 pF, 120 pF, 150 pF, 180 pF, 220 pF, 270 pF, 330 pF, 390 pF, 470 pF, 560 pF, 680 pF, 820 pF |
| E12 | 1 nF to 8.2 nF | 1 nF, 1.2 nF, 1.5 nF, 1.8 nF, 2.2 nF, 2.7 nF, 3.3 nF, 3.9 nF, 4.7 nF, 5.6 nF, 6.8 nF, 8.2 nF |
| E12 | 10 nF to 82 nF | 10 nF, 12 nF, 15 nF, 18 nF, 22 nF, 27 nF, 33 nF, 39 nF, 47 nF, 56 nF, 68 nF, 82 nF |
| E12 | 100 nF to 820 nF | 100 nF, 120 nF, 150 nF, 180 nF, 220 nF, 270 nF, 330 nF, 390 nF, 470 nF, 560 nF, 680 nF, 820 nF |
| E12 | 1 uF to 8.2 uF | 1 uF, 1.2 uF, 1.5 uF, 1.8 uF, 2.2 uF, 2.7 uF, 3.3 uF, 3.9 uF, 4.7 uF, 5.6 uF, 6.8 uF, 8.2 uF |
| E24 | 1 pF to 9.1 pF | 1 pF, 1.1 pF, 1.2 pF, 1.3 pF, 1.5 pF, 1.6 pF, 1.8 pF, 2 pF, 2.2 pF, 2.4 pF, 2.7 pF, 3 pF, 3.3 pF, 3.6 pF, 3.9 pF, 4.3 pF, 4.7 pF, 5.1 pF, 5.6 pF, 6.2 pF, 6.8 pF, 7.5 pF, 8.2 pF, 9.1 pF |
| E24 | 10 pF to 91 pF | 10 pF, 11 pF, 12 pF, 13 pF, 15 pF, 16 pF, 18 pF, 20 pF, 22 pF, 24 pF, 27 pF, 30 pF, 33 pF, 36 pF, 39 pF, 43 pF, 47 pF, 51 pF, 56 pF, 62 pF, 68 pF, 75 pF, 82 pF, 91 pF |
| E24 | 100 pF to 910 pF | 100 pF, 110 pF, 120 pF, 130 pF, 150 pF, 160 pF, 180 pF, 200 pF, 220 pF, 240 pF, 270 pF, 300 pF, 330 pF, 360 pF, 390 pF, 430 pF, 470 pF, 510 pF, 560 pF, 620 pF, 680 pF, 750 pF, 820 pF, 910 pF |
| E24 | 1 nF to 9.1 nF | 1 nF, 1.1 nF, 1.2 nF, 1.3 nF, 1.5 nF, 1.6 nF, 1.8 nF, 2 nF, 2.2 nF, 2.4 nF, 2.7 nF, 3 nF, 3.3 nF, 3.6 nF, 3.9 nF, 4.3 nF, 4.7 nF, 5.1 nF, 5.6 nF, 6.2 nF, 6.8 nF, 7.5 nF, 8.2 nF, 9.1 nF |
| E24 | 10 nF to 91 nF | 10 nF, 11 nF, 12 nF, 13 nF, 15 nF, 16 nF, 18 nF, 20 nF, 22 nF, 24 nF, 27 nF, 30 nF, 33 nF, 36 nF, 39 nF, 43 nF, 47 nF, 51 nF, 56 nF, 62 nF, 68 nF, 75 nF, 82 nF, 91 nF |
| E24 | 100 nF to 910 nF | 100 nF, 110 nF, 120 nF, 130 nF, 150 nF, 160 nF, 180 nF, 200 nF, 220 nF, 240 nF, 270 nF, 300 nF, 330 nF, 360 nF, 390 nF, 430 nF, 470 nF, 510 nF, 560 nF, 620 nF, 680 nF, 750 nF, 820 nF, 910 nF |
| E24 | 1 uF to 9.1 uF | 1 uF, 1.1 uF, 1.2 uF, 1.3 uF, 1.5 uF, 1.6 uF, 1.8 uF, 2 uF, 2.2 uF, 2.4 uF, 2.7 uF, 3 uF, 3.3 uF, 3.6 uF, 3.9 uF, 4.3 uF, 4.7 uF, 5.1 uF, 5.6 uF, 6.2 uF, 6.8 uF, 7.5 uF, 8.2 uF, 9.1 uF |
Unit Equivalents
| Value | Equivalent | Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 100 pF | 0.1 nF | 0.0001 µF |
| 1000 pF | 1 nF | 0.001 µF |
| 10 nF | 0.01 µF | 10,000 pF |
| 100 nF | 0.1 µF | 100,000 pF |
| 1000 nF | 1 µF | 1,000,000 pF |
Selection Boundaries
| Check | Why nominal value is not enough |
|---|---|
| Tolerance | Initial capacitance range is separate from preferred series |
| Dielectric | Temperature, voltage, frequency, aging, and loss behavior vary |
| Voltage rating | Applied DC, ripple, transients, and derating must fit |
| Effective capacitance | Class II ceramics can lose capacitance under DC bias |
| ESR and ripple | Heating and filtering depend on frequency and package |
| Availability | Not every series value exists in every dielectric, voltage, or package |
Common Reference Mistakes
- •Treating preferred series as guaranteed stock.
- •Assuming E-series defines actual tolerance.
- •Mixing pF, nF, and µF by three decades.
- •Using comma/decimal notation inconsistently.
- •Ignoring DC-bias capacitance loss.
- •Ignoring dielectric temperature and aging behavior.
- •Selecting nominal value without voltage margin.
- •Ignoring ESR and ripple current.
- •Combining series capacitors without voltage-sharing review.
- •Assuming all 0.1 µF capacitors behave alike.
- •Rounding before evaluating circuit sensitivity.
- •Skipping exact manufacturer data.
Support reference
FAQ
What are standard capacitor values?
They are preferred nominal values arranged in geometric E-series within each decade to support practical component selection and manufacturing ranges.
What is the E6 capacitor series?
E6 contains six normalized values per decade: 1.0, 1.5, 2.2, 3.3, 4.7, and 6.8.
What is the E12 capacitor series?
E12 contains twelve preferred values per decade and provides finer nominal spacing than E6.
What is the E24 capacitor series?
E24 contains twenty-four preferred values per decade and is useful where closer nominal selection is available.
Does E-series guarantee capacitor tolerance?
No. The series selects nominal values; the actual component tolerance is a separate specification.
Is every preferred value commercially available?
No. Availability depends on dielectric, voltage rating, package, tolerance, manufacturer, and market.
Is 0.1 µF the same as 100 nF?
Yes. Both equal 100,000 pF.
How do I move a value between decades?
Multiply or divide the mantissa by ten while shifting the SI prefix consistently; for example 4.7 nF equals 4700 pF.
Should timing circuits use the nearest preferred value?
Start with the nearest available value, then evaluate tolerance, dielectric drift, bias, temperature, and whether surrounding components can be adjusted.
Can capacitors be combined to make a missing value?
Yes. Parallel capacitances add; series capacitances combine reciprocally, but tolerance, voltage sharing, ESR, leakage, and layout matter.
Does nominal capacitance equal effective capacitance?
Not always. DC bias, AC amplitude, frequency, temperature, tolerance, and aging can change effective capacitance.
Does this table replace a distributor or datasheet?
No. Confirm actual availability and all electrical, environmental, lifetime, and package specifications.
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