152 capacitor value
1.5 nF
1,500 pF · 1.5 nF · 0.0015 µF
| Marked code | 152 |
| Picofarads | 1,500 pF |
| Nanofarads | 1.5 nF |
| Microfarads | 0.0015 µF |
| Farads | 1.50e-9 F |
Reading the code
The three digits are not a part number. The first two are the value in picofarads and the third says what to do with them:
15 × 102 = 1,500 pF
So 152 is 15 followed by 2 zeros: 1,500 pF. The code is always in picofarads even when the part is sold in microfarads, which is the whole difficulty with it — a capacitor marked 152 is stocked as 0.0015 µF and the two numbers look nothing alike.
What 1.5 nF does at frequency
A capacitor's opposition to a signal is its reactance, 1 ÷ (2πfC), and it falls as the frequency rises. Over the range of frequencies a circuit can put across it, a 1.5 nF part covers several orders of magnitude:
| Frequency | Reactance |
|---|---|
| 50 Hz — mains | 2.12 MΩ |
| 1 kHz — audio | 106.1 kΩ |
| 100 kHz — switching | 1.06 kΩ |
| 10 MHz — RF | 10.61 Ω |
Ten times the frequency is a tenth of the reactance, every time — which is why choosing a decoupling capacitor is really choosing the frequency band you want it to be low-impedance across, and why boards carry several sizes in parallel rather than one large one.
The letter after the number
A code like 152K carries a tolerance letter. It is not part of the value:
| Letter | Tolerance | 1.5 nF means |
|---|---|---|
152J | ±5% | 1.425 nF to 1.575 nF |
152K | ±10% | 1.35 nF to 1.65 nF |
152M | ±20% | 1.2 nF to 1.8 nF |
152Z | +80% / −20% | 1.2 nF to 2.7 nF |
A Z is worth knowing about. +80%/−20% is a real tolerance on cheap high-permittivity ceramics, and it means a part marked 152Z can legitimately be anything from 1.2 nF to 2.7 nF. Those go in decoupling positions where only the rough size matters, never in a timing or filter position.
Where 1.5 nF turns up
Single-figure nanofarads is audio filtering and snubbing across switch contacts. It is also the range where a capacitor stops being a precision component and starts being a bypass, depending on the dielectric it is made from.
Frequently asked questions
What is the value of a 152 capacitor?
1.5 nF — 1,500 pF · 1.5 nF · 0.0015 µF. The first two digits are the value in picofarads and the third is how many zeros follow, so 152 is 15 followed by 2 zeros = 1,500 pF.
What is a 152 capacitor in µF?
0.0015 µF. Going from picofarads to microfarads is six decimal places, which is where most of the confusion with these codes comes from — 1,500 pF, 1.5 nF and 0.0015 µF are the same capacitor written three ways.
What does the letter after 152 mean?
Tolerance. 152K is ±10%, 152J is ±5% and 152M is ±20% — so a 152K is anywhere from 1.35 nF to 1.65 nF and still in specification. A Z means +80%/−20%, which is not a mistake: some ceramic dielectrics really are that loose.
What is the impedance of a 152 capacitor at 1 kHz?
106.1 kΩ. Reactance is 1 ÷ (2πfC), so it falls as the frequency rises: the same part is 1.06 kΩ at 100 kHz and 10.61 Ω at 10 MHz.
Nearby codes
- 182 capacitor — 1.8 nF
- 222 capacitor — 2.2 nF
- 272 capacitor — 2.7 nF
- 332 capacitor — 3.3 nF
- 392 capacitor — 3.9 nF
- 472 capacitor — 4.7 nF
- 562 capacitor — 5.6 nF
- 682 capacitor — 6.8 nF
- 822 capacitor — 8.2 nF
- 103 capacitor — 10 nF