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Capacitor Colour Codes

Capacitor Colour Codes

Capacitor colour codes are a simple and effective visual way of identifying the capacitance value of a capacitor

There are two common ways to know the capacitive value of a capacitor, by measuring it using a digital multimeter, or by reading the capacitor colour codes printed on it. These coloured bands represent the capacitance value as per the colour code including voltage rating and tolerance.

Sometimes the actual values of capacitance, voltage or tolerance are marked onto the body of a capacitor in the form of alphanumeric characters. However, when the value of the capacitance is of a decimal value problems arise with the marking of the “Decimal Point” as it could easily not be noticed resulting in a misreading of the actual capacitance value.

Instead letters such as p (pico) or n (nano) are used in place of the decimal point to identify its position and the weight of the number. For example, a capacitor can be labelled as, n47 = 0.47nF, 4n7 = 4.7nF or 47n = 47nF and so on.

Also, sometimes capacitors are marked with the capital letter K to signify a value of one thousand pico-Farads, so for example, a capacitor with the markings of 100K would be 100 x 1000pF or 100nF.

To reduce the confusion regarding letters, numbers and decimal points, an International colour coding scheme was developed many years ago as a simple way of identifying capacitor values and tolerances. It consists of coloured bands (in spectral order) known commonly as a Capacitor Colour Codes system and whose meanings are illustrated below:

Capacitor Colour Code Table

Band Colour Digit A Digit B Multiplier D Tolerance (T) > 10pf Tolerance (T) < 10pf Temperature Coefficient (TC)
Black 0 0 x1 ± 20% ± 2.0pF  
Brown 1 1 x10 ± 1% ± 0.1pF -33×10-6
Red 2 2 x100 ± 2% ± 0.25pF -75×10-6
Orange 3 3 x1,000 ± 3%   -150×10-6
Yellow 4 4 x10,000 ± 4%   -220×10-6
Green 5 5 x100,000 ± 5% ± 0.5pF -330×10-6
Blue 6 6 x1,000,000     -470×10-6
Violet 7 7       -750×10-6
Grey 8 8 x0.01 +80%,-20%    
White 9 9 x0.1 ± 10% ± 1.0pF  
Gold     x0.1 ± 5%    
Silver     x0.01 ± 10%    

Capacitor Voltage Colour Code Table

Band Colour Voltage Rating (V)
Type J Type K Type L Type M Type N
Black 4 100   10 10
Brown 6 200 100 1.6  
Red 10 300 250 4 35
Orange 15 400   40  
Yellow 20 500 400 6.3 6
Green 25 600   16 15
Blue 35 700 630   20
Violet 50 800      
Grey   900   25 25
White 3 1000   2.5 3
Gold   2000      
Silver          

Capacitor Voltage Reference

  • Type J  –  Dipped Tantalum Capacitors.
  • Type K  –  Mica Capacitors.
  • Type L  –  Polyester/Polystyrene Capacitors.
  • Type M  –  Electrolytic 4 Band Capacitors.
  • Type N  –  Electrolytic 3 Band Capacitors.

An example of the use of capacitor colour codes is given as:

Metalised Polyester Capacitor

capacitor colour coding

Disc & Ceramic Capacitor

capacitor colour codes

The Capacitor Colour Codes system was used for many years on unpolarised polyester and mica moulded capacitors. This system of colour coding is now obsolete but there are still many “old” capacitors around. Nowadays, small capacitors such as film or disk types conform to the BS1852 Standard and its new replacement, BS EN 60062, were the colours have been replaced by a letter or number coded system.

Generally the code consists of 2 or 3 numbers and an optional tolerance letter code to identify the tolerance. Where a two number code is used the value of the capacitor only is given in picofarads, for example, 47 = 47 pF and 100 = 100pF etc. A three letter code consists of the two value digits and a multiplier much like the resistor colour codes in the resistors section.

For example, the digits 471 = 47*10 = 470pF. Three digit codes are often accompanied by an additional tolerance letter code as given below.

Capacitor Tolerance Letter Codes Table

Letter B C D F G J K M Z
Tolerance C <10pF ±pF 0.1 0.25 0.5 1 2        
C >10pF ±% 0.5 1 2 5 10 20 +80 -20

Consider the capacitor below:

capacitor markings

The capacitor on the left is of a ceramic disc type capacitor that has the code 473J printed onto its body. Then the 4 = 1st digit, the 7 = 2nd digit, the 3 is the multiplier in pico-Farads, pF and the letter J is the tolerance and this translates to:  47pF * 1,000 (3 zero’s) = 47,000 pF, 47nF or 0.047uF the J indicates a tolerance of +/- 5%

Then by just using numbers and letters as codes on the body of the capacitor we can easily determine the value of its capacitance either in Pico-farad’s, Nano-farads or Micro-farads and a list of these “international” codes is given in the following table along with their equivalent capacitances.

Capacitor Letter Codes Table

Picofarad (pF) Nanofarad (nF) Microfarad (uF) Code Picofarad (pF) Nanofarad (nF) Microfarad (uF) Code
10 0.01 0.00001 100 4700 4.7 0.0047 472
15 0.015 0.000015 150 5000 5.0 0.005 502
22 0.022 0.000022 220 5600 5.6 0.0056 562
33 0.033 0.000033 330 6800 6.8 0.0068 682
47 0.047 0.000047 470 10000 10 0.01 103
100 0.1 0.0001 101 15000 15 0.015 153
120 0.12 0.00012 121 22000 22 0.022 223
130 0.13 0.00013 131 33000 33 0.033 333
150 0.15 0.00015 151 47000 47 0.047 473
180 0.18 0.00018 181 68000 68 0.068 683
220 0.22 0.00022 221 100000 100 0.1 104
330 0.33 0.00033 331 150000 150 0.15 154
470 0.47 0.00047 471 200000 200 0.2 254
560 0.56 0.00056 561 220000 220 0.22 224
680 0.68 0.00068 681 330000 330 0.33 334
750 0.75 0.00075 751 470000 470 0.47 474
820 0.82 0.00082 821 680000 680 0.68 684
1000 1.0 0.001 102 1000000 1000 1.0 105
1500 1.5 0.0015 152 1500000 1500 1.5 155
2000 2.0 0.002 202 2000000 2000 2.0 205
2200 2.2 0.0022 222 2200000 2200 2.2 225
3300 3.3 0.0033 332 3300000 3300 3.3 335

The next tutorial in our section about Capacitors, we look at connecting together Capacitor in Parallel and see that the total capacitance is the sum of the individual capacitors.

194 Comments

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  • Tamboli rehan

    It’s usefull for electronic engineering 💯

  • Irfan Sottali

    I need to learn

  • Evegenios Salpighidis

    Excellent website 💯😸.
    Thanks 🙏 for the assistance.

  • Ajay Shee

    Good table

  • Ayodele Abisoye

    Dear Sir, what is the equivalent of this capacitor Ei- Ci – Ar 0.1microfarad 2000vdc FMD 11. Please kindly assist me.

  • Selma

    Pretty! This has been an extremely wondrful article. Thanks ffor supplyinmg these details.

  • Hemantha Randeniya

    Hi, congratulations .

  • Wilfred Kang

    What is the capacitance for a Mullard tropical fish capacitor with only 3 bands of color : Brown, Green & Red?
    What is the voltage and % tolerance?
    Appreciate someone can teach me.

    Thank you.

    • Wayne Storr

      We assume you are referring to the old Mullard C280 polyester capacitors which all have 5 coloured bands, not 3. It maybe that 2 neighbouring bands are of the same colour so appear to be just one single band. These would appear thicker in width than the others.

      For calculation purposes reading from top to bottom, the first and second bands are the significant digits, the third band is the multiplication factor by which the first two significant digits are multiplied to give the nominal value in pF (convert to uF), the fourth band is the tolerance (green is 5%), and the last fifth band is the working voltage, and as you have stated red is the last colour (single or double) it must be 250V.

  • Ejaz Qureshi

    I am repairing electronic equipment . This is my job.

  • Jay

    What is the maximum value in the tolerance range of a 3.3 µF capacitor with a 20% tolerance?

  • Faruque Ahmed

    It’s useful for as an electrical engineer.

  • George W Shaiffer

    I have some older, probably tantalum by shape capacitors that are color coded.
    Based on measured values top and bottom colors make sense, side dot does not.
    Top Red; Bottom Green; Side dot Yellow
    Measured value in the range of 2500 nf or 2.5 uf trying to use side dot as multiplier results in a value 0.1 of measured. Side dot may be polarity indicator but which? Dotted lead + or – ? sorry, picture not allowed

    • Wayne Storr

      It will be a dipped Tantalum Capacitor. Top Red = value = 2uF, Bottom Green = working voltage = 16VDC , Side Dot = multiplier, the colour yellow is not used on tant capacitors, (possible off-coloured burnt white) in which case x0.1

      Unless one side is marked, or is an electrolytic tantalum. it is polarity reversable.

      • George W Shaiffer

        Thank You. The Red indicating 2 uf and green 16V is very helpful. Side dot appears to me to be a definite gloss yellow. Minor scrapes with xacto knife only removes paint revealing red underneath. cannot see any trace of white.
        All three colors are bright with gloss sheen. Yellow will remain a question.
        Again Thanks for your assistance.
        George

  • Susant Pal

    I wanted to know how much is 474J in micro farad or nano farad. Please clarify for me.

    • Wayne Storr

      474J is value and tolerance marking:
      47 is capacitance value in pica-farads (pF)
      4 is number of zeros after value
      J is tolerance of: +/- 5%
      thus 474J = 470000pF = 0.47uF or 470nF at 5% Tol.

  • Manoj Acharya

    That is usefull. Thank you for sharing. Keep up the good work.

  • NAMEDITONTON

    I have a resistor with the label 1.0J 100V. Below this label a code of 8233483 code is given. What does this mean, sir?

    • Wayne Storr

      1.0J 100V is probably 1.0 ohm, +/-5% tolerance, 100V maximum working voltage (100W power rating). 8233483 are manufacturing date codes

  • Tommy Maika

    I have this capacitor with brown colour 224 J 100 F can anyone help me out to define this for me please

  • Daniel

    Sir what the surface of color nf

  • dwane

    very important information

  • Mwinchande shabani ramadhani

    Topic, lt is very useful and good .

  • Tom Wronel

    Do these colors apply to barrel capacitor.?