| Nanometre | |
|---|---|
| Unit system | metric |
| Unit of | length |
| Symbol | nm |
| Unit conversions | |
| 1 nm in ... | ... is equal to ... |
| SI units | 1×10−9 m |
| Natural units |
6.1877×1025 ℓP 18.897 a0 |
| imperial/US units |
3.2808×10−9 ft 3.9370×10−8 in |
The nanometre (International spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: nm) or nanometer (American spelling) is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one billionth of a metre (0.000000001 m). The name combines the SI prefix nano- (from the Ancient Greek νάνος, nanos, "dwarf") with the parent unit name metre (from Greek μέτρον, metrοn, "unit of measurement"). It can be written in scientific notation as 1×10−9 m, in engineering notation as 1 E−9 m, and is simply 1/1000000000 metres. One nanometre equals ten ångströms. When used as a prefix for something other than a unit of measure (as in "nanoscience"), nano refers to nanotechnology, or phenomena typically occurring on a scale of nanometres (see nanoscopic scale).