Enter your Plate Area (A), Plate Separation (d), and Dielectric Constant (K) into the Capacitance Calculator to find the Capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor — with results shown across all common units: pF, nF, and μF.
Capacitance
--
Capacitance (pF)
--
Capacitance (nF)
--
Capacitance (μF)
--
Capacitance is the ability of an object to store electric charge. It depends only on the capacitor's geometry and the dielectric material between the plates, not on the voltage or charge stored.
Use the formula C = ε₀ × K × A / d, where ε₀ is the permittivity of free space (8.854 × 10⁻¹² F/m), K is the dielectric constant, A is the plate area, and d is the separation distance.
With air as dielectric (K ≈ 1), the capacitance would be approximately 8.854 nF. The exact value depends on the dielectric material between the plates.
A capacitor is the physical device that stores electrical energy, while capacitance is the measure of how much charge the capacitor can store per unit voltage.
Higher dielectric constant materials increase capacitance proportionally. For example, using glass (K=4.7) instead of air (K=1) increases capacitance by 4.7 times.
Capacitance is measured in Farads (F), but practical values are often expressed in picofarads (pF), nanofarads (nF), or microfarads (μF) since most capacitors have very small capacitance values.
This calculator is specifically for parallel plate capacitors. For cylindrical, spherical, or other capacitor geometries, different formulas are needed.