Table of metric prefixes for SI units.

Nano (symbol n) is a unit prefix meaning one billionth. Used primarily with the metric system, this prefix denotes a factor of 10 −9 or 0.000 000 001. It is frequently encountered in science and electronics for prefixing units of time and length. Three gold atoms lined up are about one nanometer (nm) long.

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 International System of Units (SI), equal to one billionth (short scale) or one thousand million (long scale) of a meter (0.000000001 m) and to 1000 picometres.

Just how small is “nano?” In the International System of Units, the prefix "nano" means one-billionth, or 10 -9 ; therefore one nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. It’s difficult to imagine just how small that is, so here are some examples:

The nanometre (symbol: nm) is a unit used to measure length in the metric system. It is equal to one billionth of a metre (1 m / 1,000,000,000) and for kilometre, it is equal to one trillionth of a kilometre (1 km / 1,000,000,000,000).

Jan 1, 2025 · A nanometer (nm) is a unit of measurement in the metric system equal to one billionth of a meter (10^-9 meters). To provide context, a single nanometer is roughly 100,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair, which is …

May 26, 2010 · A nanometer is one billionth of a meter. (A meter is 39.37 inches, or slightly longer than one yard.) The prefix “nano” means “one billionth”, or 10 -9, in the international system for units of weights and measures. The abbreviation for nanometer is "nm." For visual examples of the size of the nanoscale, see The Size of Nano.

Jul 30, 2021 · A nanometer (nm) is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one billionth of a meter (1 x 10-9 m). Many have likely heard of it before–it’s frequently associated with nanotechnology and the creation or study of very tiny things.

Sep 27, 2024 · A nanometer is a unit of length in the metric system, equivalent to one billionth of a meter (10^-9 meters). It is commonly used to measure things at the atomic and molecular scale, such as the wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, the sizes of biological structures and molecules, and the dimensions of semiconductor components.

The nanometer is a multiple of the unit meter (m) for length & distance. The International System of Units (SI) defines the prefix nano (n) as a factor of one billionth or 10⁻⁹ or 0.000000001. Per this definition, one nanometer is 10⁻⁹ meters. The nanometer is represented by the symbol nm.