Question

What does 473 mean on a capacitor?

Answer 1

The "473" on a capacitor refers to its capacitance value, specifically in picofarads (pF).

Here's the breakdown:

1. The first two digits (47) represent the first two significant figures of the capacitance value.
   

1. The third digit (3) indicates the number of zeros to follow.
   

So, "473" means:

1. 47 followed by 3 zeros = 47,000 pF = 47 nF (nanofarads).
   

In short, a capacitor marked "473" has a capacitance of 47 nanofarads (nF).