562 capacitor value
5.6 nF
5,600 pF · 5.6 nF · 0.0056 µF
| Marked code | 562 |
| Picofarads | 5,600 pF |
| Nanofarads | 5.6 nF |
| Microfarads | 0.0056 µF |
| Farads | 5.60e-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:
56 × 102 = 5,600 pF
So 562 is 56 followed by 2 zeros: 5,600 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 562 is stocked as 0.0056 µF and the two numbers look nothing alike.
What 5.6 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 5.6 nF part covers several orders of magnitude:
| Frequency | Reactance |
|---|---|
| 50 Hz — mains | 568.41 kΩ |
| 1 kHz — audio | 28.42 kΩ |
| 100 kHz — switching | 284.21 Ω |
| 10 MHz — RF | 2.84 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 562K carries a tolerance letter. It is not part of the value:
| Letter | Tolerance | 5.6 nF means |
|---|---|---|
562J | ±5% | 5.32 nF to 5.88 nF |
562K | ±10% | 5.04 nF to 6.16 nF |
562M | ±20% | 4.48 nF to 6.72 nF |
562Z | +80% / −20% | 4.48 nF to 10.08 nF |
A Z is worth knowing about. +80%/−20% is a real tolerance on cheap high-permittivity ceramics, and it means a part marked 562Z can legitimately be anything from 4.48 nF to 10.08 nF. Those go in decoupling positions where only the rough size matters, never in a timing or filter position.
Where 5.6 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 562 capacitor?
5.6 nF — 5,600 pF · 5.6 nF · 0.0056 µF. The first two digits are the value in picofarads and the third is how many zeros follow, so 562 is 56 followed by 2 zeros = 5,600 pF.
What is a 562 capacitor in µF?
0.0056 µF. Going from picofarads to microfarads is six decimal places, which is where most of the confusion with these codes comes from — 5,600 pF, 5.6 nF and 0.0056 µF are the same capacitor written three ways.
What does the letter after 562 mean?
Tolerance. 562K is ±10%, 562J is ±5% and 562M is ±20% — so a 562K is anywhere from 5.04 nF to 6.16 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 562 capacitor at 1 kHz?
28.42 kΩ. Reactance is 1 ÷ (2πfC), so it falls as the frequency rises: the same part is 284.21 Ω at 100 kHz and 2.84 Ω at 10 MHz.
Nearby codes
- 682 capacitor — 6.8 nF
- 822 capacitor — 8.2 nF
- 103 capacitor — 10 nF
- 123 capacitor — 12 nF
- 153 capacitor — 15 nF
- 183 capacitor — 18 nF
- 223 capacitor — 22 nF
- 273 capacitor — 27 nF
- 333 capacitor — 33 nF
- 393 capacitor — 39 nF