Question T5B08
From subelement T5 - T5B
Which is equal to 1,000,000 picofarads?
Why is this correct?
1,000,000 picofarads equals 1 microfarad because there are exactly 1 million picofarads in one microfarad. Pico- means one-trillionth (10⁻¹²) and micro- means one-millionth (10⁻⁶). The difference between these prefixes is 6 orders of magnitude, or 1,000,000. Option A (0.001 microfarads) is too small by 1000 times, option C (1000 microfarads) is too large by 1000 times, and option D is ridiculously large.
Memory tip
Remember the standard engineering prefix ladder: each step represents 1000× difference. From pico- to micro- requires jumping two steps (pico→nano→micro), giving you 1000×1000 = 1,000,000. This same pattern applies to all unit conversions in amateur radio.
Learn more
Capacitance values in amateur radio circuits commonly use both picofarads and microfarads. Small bypass capacitors might be 100 pF, while larger filter capacitors could be several microfarads. Understanding these conversions helps when reading component values on schematics and selecting proper capacitors for antenna tuners, where precise capacitance values affect resonant frequency characteristics and impedance matching performance.
Think about it
Why do you think amateur radio circuits use such dramatically different capacitance values, from picofarads in RF circuits to microfarads in power supplies?