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:
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% |
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 |
An example of the use of capacitor colour codes is given as:
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.
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:
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.
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.
It’s usefull for electronic engineering 💯
I need to learn
Excellent website 💯😸.
Thanks 🙏 for the assistance.
Good table
Dear Sir, what is the equivalent of this capacitor Ei- Ci – Ar 0.1microfarad 2000vdc FMD 11. Please kindly assist me.
The equivalent is clearly 0.1uF, 2000VDC
Pretty! This has been an extremely wondrful article. Thanks ffor supplyinmg these details.
Hi, congratulations .
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.
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.
I am repairing electronic equipment . This is my job.
What is the maximum value in the tolerance range of a 3.3 µF capacitor with a 20% tolerance?
Clearly, C = 3.3uF + 20% = 3.96uF, its basic maths!
It’s useful for as an electrical engineer.
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
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.
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
I wanted to know how much is 474J in micro farad or nano farad. Please clarify for me.
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.
That is usefull. Thank you for sharing. Keep up the good work.
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?
1.0J 100V is probably 1.0 ohm, +/-5% tolerance, 100V maximum working voltage (100W power rating). 8233483 are manufacturing date codes
I have this capacitor with brown colour 224 J 100 F can anyone help me out to define this for me please
224J = 220000pF = 0.22uF, +/-5% tolerance, 100V
Sir what the surface of color nf
very important information
Topic, lt is very useful and good .
Do these colors apply to barrel capacitor.?
Yes, for instance I have a Brown/Green/White axial leaded (barrel) capacitor and it is 1.5pF.