Cap question

[ildar]

I'm a bit confused about the markings on small value caps. For instance, is a cap marked 470 actually forty-seven picofarads? If that's so, then 471 would be four hundred seventy? I got a lot (and do I mean alot) of ceramic caps marked 470 that the seller represented as four hundred seventy picofarads. I thought I knew, but...

[Athin]

471=47 * 10 = 470pF
470 = 470pF
same thing.
AFAIK 47pF is just marked 47

[downweverything]

are two conventions of marking it.  on most the caps i have the first two numbers are the value the third is the multiplier so 470 is 47*10^0=47pF,   471 is 47*10^1=470pF.  then there are the kind that just puts the value in picofarads so 470 in this case could also mean 470pF.  id measure to make sure.