Convert Picocoulomb to Franklin (pC to Franklin)

Picocoulomb (pC) and Franklin (Franklin) are both units of electric charge. With the conversion form below, you can effortlessly and accurately convert picocoulomb to franklin. This free online calculator tool makes it simple and easy to perform the conversion from pC unit to the Franklin unit.

Electric charge is a fundamental property of matter that causes it to experience electromagnetic force. Charge is measured in coulombs (C) in the SI system. It comes in two types—positive and negative—and is conserved: the total charge in an isolated system never changes. The elementary charge (the charge of a proton) is exactly 1.602176634 × 10⁻¹⁹ C. Charge is the source of electric fields and, when moving, of magnetic fields.

A picocoulomb (symbol: pC) is an SI-prefixed unit of electric charge equal to one trillionth of a coulomb (10⁻¹² C). The prefix pico- denotes one trillionth of the base unit. Picocoulombs are widely used in electronics, electrostatics, particle detection, analytical instrumentation, and scientific research, where extremely small quantities of electric charge must be measured accurately.

One picocoulomb represents the amount of electric charge transferred by an electric current of one picoampere flowing for one second, or by a current of one ampere flowing for one picosecond. Like the coulomb, the picocoulomb measures the total quantity of electric charge rather than the rate of charge flow, which is measured in amperes.

Picocoulombs are commonly used in radiation detectors, photomultiplier tubes, charge-sensitive amplifiers, semiconductor testing, electrostatic measurements, and laboratory instruments capable of detecting extremely small electrical charges. As an SI-prefixed subdivision of the coulomb, the picocoulomb provides a practical and internationally recognized unit for expressing minute quantities of electric charge.

A franklin (symbol: Fr), also known as a statcoulomb (statC) or the electrostatic unit (esu) of electric charge, is a unit of electric charge used in the centimetre–gram–second (CGS) electrostatic system of units. Franklins were historically used in electrostatics and electromagnetic theory before the International System of Units (SI) became the worldwide standard. Today, the unit is primarily encountered in older scientific literature, textbooks, and historical references.

One franklin is approximately equal to 3.33564 × 10⁻¹⁰ coulomb (C). Unlike the SI coulomb, the franklin is defined within the CGS electrostatic system, where electric charge is derived from the electrostatic force between charged particles rather than from electric current.

Although the franklin is rarely used in modern engineering or scientific practice, it remains important for understanding historical publications, classical electromagnetism, and conversions between CGS and SI electrical units. Familiarity with the franklin helps researchers accurately interpret older electrical measurements and theoretical work.

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