What are angstroms and nanometers used for?

Both are extremely small units of length used in science. - Nanometers (nm) are most famously used to measure the wavelength of light (e.g., visible light is 400-700 nm) and in nanotechnology. - Angstroms (Å) are even smaller and are traditionally used to measure things at the atomic level, like the size of an atom or the length of a chemical bond (e.g., a carbon-carbon bond is about 1.5 Å).

Nanometers to Angstroms (nm to Å) Converter

Q: What is the formula for nm to angstroms?

The formula is: Angstroms = Nanometers × 10. To convert from angstroms to nanometers, you divide by 10. Formula: Nanometers = Angstroms / 10.

Q: How many angstroms are in 1 nm?

There are exactly 10 angstroms (Å) in 1 nanometer (nm).

Q: Which is smaller, angstrom or nanometer?

An angstrom (Å) is smaller. It is one-tenth the size of a nanometer. 1 Å = 0.1 nm.

A scientific calculator to convert nanometers (nm), angstroms (Å), micrometers (µm), and meters (m) instantly. Enter a value in any field to see all units update.

Nanometers (nm)

Angstroms (Å)

Micrometers (µm or microns)

Meters (m)

Scientific Notation (in Meters)

How to Convert Nanometers to Angstroms

The conversion between nanometers (nm) and angstroms (Å) is a simple factor of 10. This conversion is extremely common in physics, chemistry, and materials science for measuring atomic-scale distances and wavelengths of light.

The Conversion Formula

The relationship is fixed and exact:

1 Nanometer (nm) = 10 Angstroms (Å)

Therefore, to convert from nanometers to angstroms, you **multiply the nanometer value by 10**.

Formula: Å = nm × 10
Example: 550 nm × 10 = 5500 Å

To convert from angstroms to nanometers, you **divide the angstrom value by 10**.

Formula: nm = Å / 10
Example: 1 Å / 10 = 0.1 nm

The Scale of Metric Prefixes

Understanding where these units fit in the metric system is key. Each of these units is 1,000 times smaller than the one before it, with the Angstrom as a special case.

Unit	Symbol	In Meters (Scientific)	Common Use
Meter	m	1 m (10⁰ m)	Human scale
Millimeter	mm	0.001 m (10^-3 m)	Insects, pencil tip
Micrometer	µm	0.000001 m (10^-6 m)	Bacteria, cells
Nanometer	nm	0.000000001 m (10^-9 m)	DNA strand, viruses, light waves
Angstrom	Å	0.0000000001 m (10^-10 m)	Atom size, chemical bonds

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How many angstroms are in 1 nm?

There are exactly **10 angstroms (Å)** in 1 nanometer (nm).

Which is smaller, angstrom or nanometer?

An **angstrom (Å)** is smaller. It is one-tenth the size of a nanometer (1 Å = 0.1 nm).

What is 1 nanometer in meters (scientific notation)?

1 nanometer is equal to 1×10^-9 meters (or 1e-9 m), which is one-billionth of a meter.

Audit: Complete

Formula (LaTeX) + variables + units

This section shows the formulas used by the calculator engine, plus variable definitions and units.

Formula (extracted LaTeX)

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Formula (extracted text)

1 Nanometer (nm) = 10 Angstroms (Å)

Variables and units

No variables provided in audit spec.

Sources (authoritative):

NIST — Weights and measures — nist.gov · Accessed 2026-01-19
https://www.nist.gov/pml/weights-and-measures
FTC — Consumer advice — consumer.ftc.gov · Accessed 2026-01-19
https://consumer.ftc.gov/

Changelog

Version: 0.1.0-draft
Last code update: 2026-01-19

0.1.0-draft · 2026-01-19

Initial audit spec draft generated from HTML extraction (review required).
Verify formulas match the calculator engine and convert any text-only formulas to LaTeX.
Confirm sources are authoritative and relevant to the calculator methodology.

Verified by Ugo Candido on 2026-01-19
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