Question T5C02
From subelement T5 - T5C
What is the unit of capacitance?
Why is this correct?
The farad is the unit of capacitance, named after physicist Michael Faraday. Capacitance measures a component's ability to store energy in an electric field. The ohm measures resistance, the volt measures electrical potential difference, and the henry measures inductance (ability to store energy in a magnetic field). Each electrical property has its specific unit.
Memory tip
Remember the pattern: each fundamental electrical property has its own dedicated unit. When you see capacitance questions, think 'farad.' This unit naming convention helps distinguish between different electrical phenomena that might otherwise seem similar.
Learn more
In practical amateur radio circuits, you'll encounter capacitors rated in picofarads (pF), nanofarads (nF), or microfarads (µF) rather than whole farads, which represent enormous capacitance values. Understanding capacitance units helps when selecting components for antenna tuners, filters, and coupling circuits. The farad represents the fundamental unit, even though typical circuit values are tiny fractions of a farad.
Think about it
Why do you think practical electronic circuits use microfarads or picofarads instead of whole farads?