Capacitor Equations and Units GlobalCAPACITOR market

C = Q/V C = ε0 x εr (A/d) A Current annual worth of $20 billion in total

(according to figures compiled by Lucintel)
Where Q is Where ε0 is the permittivity of a vacuum
εr is the permittivity of the dielectric
εr
Charge and
It is estimated that nearly 5 trillion units were
V is Voltage A is the total area of the plates and d shipped in 2019 (according to Research &
d is the distance between them
Markets)
Energy Stored = 1/2 (CxV2)
Capacitor calculations
The unit of capacitance is the Farad, symbol F.
Typical capacitor values range from 10 F down to 1 pF. Series
1 1 1 1
Key CAPACITOR TECHNOLOGIES CAPACITOR TYPES & SYMBOLS = + +
Cequivalent C1 C2 C3
• Ceramic Non -
• Electrolytic Polarized Polarized Variable
• Film Capacitor Capacitor Capacitor
C1 C2 C3
• Multi layer ceramic capacitor (MLCC)
• Polymer
• Tantalum

CAPACITOR sizes & Formats Parallel

Cequivalent = C1 + C2 + C3

C1 C2 C3

EIA Capacitor Tolerances

SMT Chip Axial Lead Disk Axial
Capacitors Capacitors Capacitors Capacitors CODE TOLERANCE FIGURE
B ±0.1 %
C ±0.25 %
CAPACITOR markings multiplier factors
D ±0 %
1st and 2nd digits indicate the capacitor F ±1 %
3rd Order of Example Capacitor G ±2 %
value – in this example 47 digit magnitude Value
J ±5 %
0 1 470 47 pF
K ±10 %

475
1 10 101 100 pF
M ±20 %
2 100 222 2.2 nF
Y ±30 %

25V
3 1,000 473 47 nF
Z +80 % -20 %
4 10,000 224 220 nF/0.22 μF
5 100,000 475 4.7 μF

Voltage Rating EIA Capacitor Voltage Codes

super CAPACITOR discharge profiles
CODE voltage
3rd digit gives the multiplier, 0L 5.5 V
with 0 indicating tens of pF. See opposite V Relates to the
1A 10 V
table. In this example, 475 is 4.7 μF. 1E 25 V
ESR value 1H 50 V
2A 100 V
Slow discharge
Capacitor Equivalent Circuit 2D 200 V
(for IoT energy
2E 250 V
harvesting
A capacitor’s equivalent circuit takes into 2G 400 V
applications)
account the equivalent series resistance
(ESR) and inductance (ESL), and the
dielectric insulation resistance across the
Key CAPACITOR selection parameters
capacitance.
Rparallel
• Capacitance
ESR ESL • Working Voltage
Rapid discharge • Temperature Range Supported
(for smartphone • Leakage Current
flash applications) • Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR)
• Tolerance Level
C Time • Moisture Sensitivity

Capacitor Reference Sheet