key term - Nanometers (nm)

Definition

A nanometer is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one billionth of a meter. It's often used to measure things that are very small, like atoms and molecules.

Related terms

Angstrom: A unit of measurement used in atomic physics and chemistry, equal to 0.1 nanometers.

Micrometer: Another unit of length in the metric system, which is larger than a nanometer but smaller than a millimeter. One micrometer equals 1,000 nanometers.

Picometer: This is even smaller than a nanometer - it's one trillionth of a meter or one thousandth of a nanometer.