Nanometers to Microns
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1 nanometer (nm) = 0.001 micron (µ). Nanometer (nm) is a unit of Length used in Metric system. Micron (µ) is a unit of Length used in Metric system.

Nanometer: A Unit of Length

Definition of the Nanometer

A nanometer or nanometre (international spelling) is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), equal to one billionth (short scale) of a meter (0.000 000 001 m) and to 1000 picometres. One nanometer can be expressed in scientific notation as 1 × 10-9 m, and as 1/1 000 000 000 metres.

History of the Nanometer

The nanometer was formerly known as the millimicrometre - or, more commonly, the millimicron for short - since it is 1/1000 of a micrometre, and was often denoted by the symbol mµ or, more rarely, as µµ. The name combines the SI prefix nano- (from the Ancient Greek nanos, “dwarf”) with the parent unit name metre (from Greek metron, “unit of measurement”).

The nanometer was first used in the late 19th century by scientists who studied light and optics, such as Lord Rayleigh and Albert Michelson. They used interferometers to measure wavelengths of light in nanometers. In the early 20th century, the nanometer was also used by physicists who studied atomic and molecular structures, such as Ernest Rutherford and Niels Bohr. They used spectroscopy and scattering experiments to determine the sizes and distances of atoms and molecules in nanometers. In the mid-20th century, the nanometer was also used by chemists and biologists who studied colloids and macromolecules, such as The Svedberg and Linus Pauling. They used ultracentrifuges and X-ray diffraction to measure the sizes and shapes of particles and polymers in nanometers.

In the late 20th century, the nanometer became more widely used as a result of the development of nanotechnology, which is the manipulation of matter at the nanoscale. Nanotechnology involves various fields of science and engineering, such as electronics, materials, medicine, energy and environment. Nanotechnology enables the creation of new devices and systems with novel properties and functions that depend on their nanoscale dimensions.

How to Convert Nanometer

To convert nanometer to other units of length, one can use the following conversion factors:

• 1 nanometer = 10^-9 meter
• 1 nanometer = 10^-6 millimeter
• 1 nanometer = 10^-3 micrometer
• 1 nanometer = 10 angstrom
• 1 nanometer = 3.937 × 10^-8 inch
• 1 nanometer = 3.281 × 10^-9 foot

To convert other units of length to nanometer, one can use the inverse of these conversion factors.

Where Nanometer is Used

The nanometer is often used to express dimensions on an atomic scale and mostly in the molecular scale. For example:

• The diameter of a helium atom is about 0.06 nm
• The diameter of a water molecule is about 0.28 nm
• The thickness of a DNA strand is about 2 nm
• The diameter of a ribosome is about 20 nm
• The thickness of a cell membrane is about 10 nm

The nanometer is also commonly used to specify the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation near the visible part of the spectrum: visible light ranges from around 400 to 700 nm. For example:

• The wavelength of violet light is about 400 nm
• The wavelength of green light is about 550 nm
• The wavelength of red light is about 700 nm

The nanometer is also used to describe typical feature sizes in successive generations of the ITRS Roadmap for miniaturized semiconductor device fabrication in the semiconductor industry. For example:

• The transistor gate length in Intel’s Pentium processor (1993) was about 800 nm
• The transistor gate length in Intel’s Core processor (2006) was about 65 nm
• The transistor gate length in Intel’s Tiger Lake processor (2020) was about 10 nm

The nanometer is used in different countries for different applications, depending on their level of development and innovation in nanotechnology. For example:

• In Japan, nanotechnology is used for improving the performance and efficiency of solar cells, batteries, fuel cells, sensors, and displays.
• In China, nanotechnology is used for developing new materials, such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, and nanocomposites, for various industries, such as aerospace, automotive, and textile.
• In India, nanotechnology is used for addressing social and environmental challenges, such as water purification, health care, agriculture, and energy.

Example Conversions of Nanometer to Other Units

Here are some example conversions of nanometer to other units of length:

• 1 nm = 10^-9 m
• 10 nm = 10^-8 m
• 100 nm = 10^-7 m
• 1000 nm = 10^-6 m = 1 µm
• 10 000 nm = 10^-5 m = 10 µm
• 100 000 nm = 10^-4 m = 100 µm
• 1 000 000 nm = 10^-3 m = 1 mm

Micron: A Unit of Length

A micron is a unit of length that is equal to one millionth of a meter. It is also known as a micrometer or a micrometre. The symbol for micron is µm.

How to Convert Micron

To convert micron to other units of length, we need to use some conversion factors. Here are some common conversion factors for US Standard system and SI system:

• 1 inch = 25,400 µm
• 1 foot = 304,800 µm
• 1 mile = 1,609,344,000 µm
• 1 centimeter = 10,000 µm
• 1 meter = 1,000,000 µm
• 1 kilometer = 1,000,000,000 µm

Using these conversion factors, we can multiply or divide the number of microns by the appropriate factor to get the equivalent length in another unit. For example:

• To convert 50 µm to inches, we divide 50 by 25,400 and get 0.00197 inches.
• To convert 3 feet to microns, we multiply 3 by 304,800 and get 914,400 µm.

Where Micron is Used

The micron is used in various fields and applications that require measuring very small distances or sizes. Some examples are:

• In biology and medicine, the micron is used to measure the size of cells, bacteria, viruses, and other microscopic organisms.
• In engineering and manufacturing, the micron is used to measure the thickness of films, coatings, wires, fibers, and other materials.
• In astronomy and optics, the micron is used to measure the wavelength of infrared light and the resolution of telescopes and cameras.
• In geology and mineralogy, the micron is used to measure the grain size of rocks and minerals.
• In chemistry and physics, the micron is used to measure the diameter of atoms and molecules.

The use of micron varies by country and region. For example:

• In the United States and Canada, the micron is commonly used in engineering and manufacturing industries.
• In Europe and Asia, the micron is widely used in science and technology fields.
• In Australia and New Zealand, the micron is often used in agriculture and forestry sectors.

Definition of the Micron

The micron is defined as one millionth of a meter. A meter is the base unit of length in the SI system. The SI system is an international system of units that is based on seven fundamental quantities: length, mass, time, electric current, temperature, luminous intensity, and amount of substance.

The meter was originally defined as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole along a meridian. However, this definition was not very precise and practical. Therefore, over time, the definition of the meter has changed several times based on different physical constants and standards. The current definition of the meter was adopted in 1983 by the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM). It states that:

The meter is the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of 1/299792458 second.

Using this definition, we can derive that one micron is equal to:

1 µm = (1/299792458) / (1000000) second * (299792458 m / second)

= (1/1000000) m

= 0.000001 m

History of Micron

The micron was first introduced in the late 18th century by French scientists who were developing a decimal system of units. They proposed a unit called micrometre that was equal to one millionth of a meter. However, this unit was not widely accepted or used at that time.

In the early 19th century, British scientists adopted a similar unit called microinch that was equal to one millionth of an inch. This unit was more popular among English-speaking countries and regions.

In the late 19th century, German scientists proposed a new unit called mikrometer that was also equal to one millionth of a meter. This unit was more consistent with the metric system and became more widely used in Europe and Asia.

In the early 20th century, the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) recommended using the term micrometer instead of micron or mikrometer to avoid confusion with other units. However, many people still preferred using micron as a shorter and simpler name.

In 1960, the CGPM adopted the SI system as the official system of units for science and technology. The SI system used the term micrometer as the official name for the unit of length equal to one millionth of a meter. The symbol for micrometer was also standardized as µm.

However, the term micron and its symbol µ were still widely used in many fields and applications. Therefore, in 1975, the CGPM decided to allow the use of micron and µ as alternative names and symbols for micrometer and µm. However, they also stated that these alternatives should be avoided in official documents and publications.

Example Conversions of Micron to Other Units

Here are some examples of converting micron to other units of length:

• 1 µm = 0.000001 m
• 1 µm = 0.001 mm
• 1 µm = 0.00003937 inch
• 1 µm = 0.000003281 foot
• 1 µm = 0.000000001 km
• 1 µm = 0.0000006214 mile
• 1 µm = 1000 nm