03 // Bidirectional STEM Calculators // ENGINEERINGC (pF) = (ε_r × ε₀ × A) / d

Parallel Plate Capacitor Capacitance Calculator

A parallel-plate capacitor stores electrostatic charge proportional to its relative dielectric permittivity ε_r and conductive plate overlap area A, and inversely proportional to dielectric thickness d.

C (pF) = (ε_r × ε₀ × A) / d

Pick which value you want to calculate (or type into any field):Solving for: C (pF) — Capacitance (pF)

Capacitance (pF)Calculated

Capacitance in picofarads (10⁻¹² Farads)

0.11,000,000.00

unit

Relative Dielectric Constant

Dielectric permittivity relative to vacuum (FR-4 ≈ 4.4)

15,000.00

unit

Plate Overlap Area (cm²)

Effective facing electrode area in square centimeters

0.0110,000.00

unit

Dielectric Thickness (mm)

Separation distance between plates in millimeters

0.001100

unit

Calculated Result · Capacitance (pF) (C (pF))

389.5843

Step-by-Step Calculation

01Canonical Law: C (pF) = (ε_r × ε₀ × A) / d

02Given Inputs (Base Units): ε_r = 4.4, A (cm²) = 100, d (mm) = 1

03Solve for C (pF) (Capacitance (pF)): C (pF) = 389.58

Real-World Reference Values

FR-4 PCB Power/Ground Planeε_r = 4.3 – 4.6

0.1 mm prepreg yields ~39 pF/cm² interplane decoupling

PTFE / Teflon High-Freq Substrateε_r = 2.1

Low dielectric loss tangent for RF/microwave traces

X7R / BaTiO₃ Ceramic MLCCε_r = 1,500 – 3,500

Enables multi-microfarad capacitance in 0402/0603 packages

20-Row Comparison Table

Capacitance (pF) (C (pF)) · Relative Dielectric Constant (ε_r)

Compare across:

Parallel Plate Capacitor Capacitance Calculator — Relative Dielectric Constant → Capacitance (pF)
#	Relative Dielectric Constant (ε_r)	Capacitance (pF) (C (pF))	Δ %
01	4.4 Current	389.5843	0.00%
02	37.3559	3,307.56	+749.00%
03	73.7118	6,526.58	+1575.27%
04	110.0678	9,745.61	+2401.54%
05	146.4237	12,964.63	+3227.81%
06	182.7796	16,183.65	+4054.08%
07	219.1355	19,402.67	+4880.35%
08	255.4914	22,621.69	+5706.62%
09	291.8474	25,840.71	+6532.89%
10	328.2033	29,059.74	+7359.17%
11	364.5592	32,278.76	+8185.44%
12	400.9151	35,497.78	+9011.71%
13	437.2711	38,716.80	+9837.98%
14	473.627	41,935.82	+10664.25%
15	509.9829	45,154.84	+11490.52%
16	546.3388	48,373.86	+12316.79%
17	582.6947	51,592.89	+13143.06%
18	619.0507	54,811.91	+13969.33%
19	655.4066	58,030.93	+14795.60%
20	691.7625	61,249.95	+15621.87%

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the vacuum permittivity constant ε₀?+

Vacuum permittivity ε₀ equals 8.8541878128 × 10⁻¹² F/m (or 8.854 pF/m).

How do I maximize PCB interplane decoupling capacitance?+

Minimize the prepreg dielectric thickness d_mm between power and ground planes; halving d doubles distributed capacitance.

How much energy is stored in the capacitor at voltage V?+

Stored electrostatic energy equals E = 0.5 × C × V².