To convert picofarads to nanofarads, multiply by 0.001. That factor is the whole relationship: both units measure how much charge a component stores per volt, so the conversion is a proportion with no offset and no substance-specific constant.
Picofarads are the scale of ceramic capacitors, crystal load networks and stray capacitance between adjacent tracks. Nanofarads sit in the awkward middle of capacitor labelling: the same part may be printed 100 nF, 0.1 µF or 104.
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 nanofarads, so you can sanity-check whether your answer is a plausible size.
The formula
picofarads- The amount you are converting, in picofarads
0.001- The exact number of nanofarads in one picofarad
nanofarads- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in picofarads.
- It is multiplied by 0.001, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in nanofarads, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
Audio coupling capacitor: 1e+06 pF in nanofarads
Audio coupling capacitor comes to about 1e+06 pF. Multiplying by the factor: 1e+06 × 0.001 = 1000 nF. Dividing the answer back by 0.001 returns the figure you started with, which is the quickest way to check you have the factor the right way up.
Crystal load capacitor: 22 pF in nanofarads
Crystal load capacitor comes to about 22 pF. Multiplying by the factor: 22 × 0.001 = 0.022 nF. Dividing the answer back by 0.001 returns the figure you started with, which is the quickest way to check you have the factor the right way up.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many nanofarads are in one picofarad?
Exactly 0.001. 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 picofarads to nanofarads?
nanofarads = picofarads × 0.001. Reversed, picofarads = nanofarads ÷ 0.001, which is the same as multiplying by 1000.
Which is the bigger unit, the picofarad or the nanofarad?
The nanofarad. One picofarad is only 0.001 of a nanofarad, so it takes 1000 picofarads to make one nanofarad.
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 picofarad?
Picofarads are the scale of ceramic capacitors, crystal load networks and stray capacitance between adjacent tracks.
What is a nanofarad?
Nanofarads sit in the awkward middle of capacitor labelling: the same part may be printed 100 nF, 0.1 µF or 104.
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.
Picofarads to nanofarads reference tables
| Picofarads | Nanofarads |
|---|---|
| 0.5 pF | 0.0005 nF |
| 1 pF | 0.001 nF |
| 2 pF | 0.002 nF |
| 3 pF | 0.003 nF |
| 5 pF | 0.005 nF |
| 10 pF | 0.01 nF |
| 20 pF | 0.02 nF |
| 25 pF | 0.025 nF |
| 50 pF | 0.05 nF |
| 75 pF | 0.075 nF |
| 100 pF | 0.1 nF |
| 250 pF | 0.25 nF |
| 500 pF | 0.5 nF |
| 1000 pF | 1 nF |
| 5000 pF | 5 nF |
Exact factor: 1 picofarad = 0.001 nanofarads.
| Quantity | pF | nF |
|---|---|---|
| Crystal load capacitor | 22 pF | 0.022 nF |
| Decoupling capacitor | 1e+05 pF | 100 nF |
| Audio coupling capacitor | 1e+06 pF | 1000 nF |
| Motor-run capacitor | 2.5e+07 pF | 2.5e+04 nF |
| Power supply smoothing capacitor | 4.7e+09 pF | 4.7e+06 nF |
| Supercapacitor cell | 1e+12 pF | 1e+09 nF |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.