Use this electronics calculation for a first-pass component, converter, signal, motor, or sensor estimate when the stated operating conditions and units match the device data.

Frequency Hz (Hz)

Required number input.

Capacitance Farads (F)

Required number input.

Series Resistance Ohms (Ω)

Required number input.

Loss tangent of a series-ESR capacitor at a specified frequency; excludes dielectric frequency dispersion. The tool evaluates the supplied inputs together and returns the named outputs below; it does not infer omitted operating conditions or change the units shown.^[1]

Dissipation Factor

The resulting dissipation factor returned as a number.

• Capacitance, ESR, leakage, ripple rating, lifetime, and self-resonance vary with frequency, temperature, DC bias, aging, dielectric, package, and mounting. Nominal capacitance alone does not determine in-circuit impedance or reliability.
• Use finite inputs in the displayed units and preserve more precision than the final presentation requires. Independently verify safety-critical, financial, compliance, or production decisions.

Check the result against the current datasheet and worst-case operating corners, then verify the circuit or measurement with simulation and bench testing where failure matters.

• ESR From Dissipation Factor

  Compute equivalent series resistance as dissipation factor / (2 x PI x frequency x capacitance).

• ESR Power Loss

  Compute capacitor ESR power dissipation as RMS ripple current squared times equivalent series resistance.

• Dissipation Factor

  Compute the dissipation factor of a capacitor as ESR divided by reactance.