10 µF capacitor (10,000 nF)
A 10 µF capacitor is the same as 10,000 nF or 10,000,000 pF. On ceramic and film parts it is printed as the code 106; schematics often write 10µ.
How a 10 µF capacitor is marked
| Style | Marking | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|
| 3-digit code | 106 | Ceramic discs, multilayer ceramics, film capacitors |
| Code + tolerance | 106J · 106K · 106M | ±5% · ±10% · ±20% |
| Code + voltage | 1H106K · 2A106J | 50 V · 100 V film capacitors |
| IEC 60062 letter code | 10µ | Schematics, European parts (the letter is the decimal point) |
| Plain value | 10µF | Older US parts and electrolytics — bare decimals are µF |
| SMD (0402–1206) | usually unmarked | Check the reel label or measure with an LCR meter |
10 µF in every unit
| Picofarads | 10,000,000 pF |
|---|---|
| Nanofarads | 10,000 nF |
| Microfarads | 10 µF |
| Farads | 1 × 10^-5 |
Reactance of 10 µF
A capacitor's opposition to AC falls as frequency rises: XC = 1 ÷ (2π f C). This tells you whether 10 µF passes or blocks a signal — a decoupling capacitor needs a low reactance at the noise frequency, a coupling capacitor at the lowest signal frequency.
| Frequency | Reactance XC |
|---|---|
| 50 Hz | 318 Ω |
| 60 Hz | 265 Ω |
| 1 kHz | 15.9 Ω |
| 10 kHz | 1.59 Ω |
| 100 kHz | 0.159 Ω |
| 1 MHz | 0.0159 Ω |
| 10 MHz | 0.00159 Ω |
Real capacitors stop behaving like ideal ones above their self-resonant frequency, which depends on the package and lead length, so treat the high-frequency rows as an upper bound on performance.
RC time constant and filter corner with 10 µF
With a resistor R, the capacitor charges to 63% in one time constant τ = R × C and to over 99% in 5τ. The same pair makes a first-order low-pass or high-pass filter with corner frequency fc = 1 ÷ (2π R C).
| Resistor | τ = RC | 5τ (≈ full charge) | Corner fc |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 Ω | 1 ms | 5 ms | 159 Hz |
| 1 kΩ | 10 ms | 50 ms | 15.9 Hz |
| 10 kΩ | 100 ms | 500 ms | 1.59 Hz |
| 100 kΩ | 1,000 ms | 5 s | 0.159 Hz |
Choosing a 10 µF capacitor
| Usual dielectric | X5R ceramic, tantalum, aluminium electrolytic |
|---|---|
| Common voltage ratings | 6.3–50 V |
| Neighbouring E6 values | 3.3 µF, 4.7 µF, 6.8 µF, 15 µF, 22 µF, 33 µF |
10 µF is a bulk decoupling value. A ceramic marked 106 can lose half or more of its capacitance at its rated DC voltage (DC-bias effect), so pick a higher voltage rating or larger package than the rail needs. Electrolytic and tantalum parts are polarised: the stripe marks the negative lead on aluminium electrolytics and the positive on tantalum.
FAQ
What is the code for a 10 µF capacitor?
106. The first two digits (10) are picofarads and the third (6) is the number of zeros: 10,000,000 pF. In IEC letter notation it is written 10µ.
Is 10 µF the same as 10,000 nF?
Yes. 10,000,000 pF = 10,000 nF = 10 µF; they are three names for the same capacitance.
What is the reactance of a 10 µF capacitor?
Xc = 1 ÷ (2π × f × C). At 1 kHz a 10 µF capacitor has 15.9 Ω; at 50 Hz 318 Ω.
What cutoff frequency does 10 µF give with 10 kΩ?
fc = 1 ÷ (2π × 10 kΩ × 10 µF) = 1.59 Hz, and the time constant τ = R × C = 100 ms.