One farad is exactly 1e+12 picofarads, so converting farads to picofarads is a single multiplication. Enter any figure and the result appears as you type — the arithmetic runs in your browser, so nothing is sent anywhere.
Picofarads are the scale of ceramic capacitors, crystal load networks and stray capacitance between adjacent tracks. The farad is the SI unit of capacitance: one coulomb of charge stored per volt applied. A whole farad is enormous, which is why practical parts are labelled in fractions of one.
Capacitor labelling. The same part may be printed 100 nF, 0.1 uF, or the three-digit code 104, and all three mean the same component. Nanofarads are the awkward middle: European schematics favour nF, American ones favour uF. The tables underneath give both a plain step-by-step lookup and a list of real quantities expressed in picofarads, so you can sanity-check whether your answer is a plausible size.
The formula
farads- The amount you are converting, in farads
1e+12- The exact number of picofarads in one farad
picofarads- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in farads.
- It is multiplied by 1e+12, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in picofarads, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
Supercapacitor cell: 1 F in picofarads
Supercapacitor cell comes to about 1 F. Multiplying by the factor: 1 × 1e+12 = 1e+12 pF. Dividing the answer back by 1e+12 returns the figure you started with, which is the quickest way to check you have the factor the right way up.
Power supply smoothing capacitor: 0.0047 F in picofarads
At 0.0047 F (power supply smoothing capacitor), the same quantity in picofarads is 0.0047 × 1e+12 = 4.7e+09 pF. One farad is 1e+12 picofarads, so the numbers grow as expected.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many picofarads are in one farad?
Exactly 1e+12. Every figure on this page is that one number multiplied by your input, so the only rounding is at the display step.
What is the formula to convert farads to picofarads?
picofarads = farads × 1e+12. Reversed, farads = picofarads ÷ 1e+12, which is the same as multiplying by 1.00000000000e-12.
Which is the bigger unit, the farad or the picofarad?
The farad. One farad equals 1e+12 picofarads.
What does this quantity actually measure?
Both units measure how much charge a component stores per volt. That is why a single factor is enough: there is no temperature offset and no material property involved, unlike conversions that cross between different quantities.
What is a farad?
The farad is the SI unit of capacitance: one coulomb of charge stored per volt applied. A whole farad is enormous, which is why practical parts are labelled in fractions of one.
What is a picofarad?
Picofarads are the scale of ceramic capacitors, crystal load networks and stray capacitance between adjacent tracks.
Why does my answer differ from another converter?
Almost always because the other tool rounded the factor before multiplying. This page keeps full double precision through the calculation and rounds only for display, and it prints the factor it used so you can see where any difference came from.
Farads to picofarads reference tables
| Farads | Picofarads |
|---|---|
| 0.5 F | 5e+11 pF |
| 1 F | 1e+12 pF |
| 2 F | 2e+12 pF |
| 3 F | 3e+12 pF |
| 5 F | 5e+12 pF |
| 10 F | 1e+13 pF |
| 20 F | 2e+13 pF |
| 25 F | 2.5e+13 pF |
| 50 F | 5e+13 pF |
| 75 F | 7.5e+13 pF |
| 100 F | 1e+14 pF |
| 250 F | 2.5e+14 pF |
| 500 F | 5e+14 pF |
| 1000 F | 1.00000e+15 pF |
| 5000 F | 5.00000e+15 pF |
Exact factor: 1 farad = 1e+12 picofarads.
| Quantity | F | pF |
|---|---|---|
| Crystal load capacitor | 2.200e-11 F | 22 pF |
| Decoupling capacitor | 1e-07 F | 1e+05 pF |
| Audio coupling capacitor | 1e-06 F | 1e+06 pF |
| Motor-run capacitor | 2.5e-05 F | 2.5e+07 pF |
| Power supply smoothing capacitor | 0.0047 F | 4.7e+09 pF |
| Supercapacitor cell | 1 F | 1e+12 pF |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.