This page converts nanometers into microns using the factor 0.001, and shows the reverse figure alongside it. Both units measure length, which is why one number does the whole job.
The older name for a micrometre, still standard in filtration, machining and paint-thickness specifications. One billionth of a metre — the scale of light wavelengths and chip lithography.
The mil and the millimetre are not the same thing and are out by a factor of about forty. A mil is one thousandth of an inch — 0.0254 mm — and a spec sheet that quotes film thickness in mils means the small unit. British drawings write the same size as "thou". Below the calculator there is a step table for the values people look up most, and a second table putting real length figures into microns so the number you get has something to be compared against.
The formula
nanometers- The amount you are converting, in nanometers
0.001- The exact number of microns in one nanometer
microns- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in nanometers.
- It is multiplied by 0.001, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in microns, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
A round figure: 1 nm in microns
A round figure comes to about 1 nm. Multiplying by the factor: 1 × 0.001 = 0.001 micron. Dividing the answer back by 0.001 returns the figure you started with, which is the quickest way to check you have the factor the right way up.
A larger figure: 100 nm in microns
A larger figure comes to about 100 nm. Multiplying by the factor: 100 × 0.001 = 0.1 micron. Dividing the answer back by 0.001 returns the figure you started with, which is the quickest way to check you have the factor the right way up.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many microns are in one nanometer?
Exactly 0.001. Every figure on this page is that one number multiplied by your input, so the only rounding is at the display step.
What is the formula to convert nanometers to microns?
microns = nanometers × 0.001. Reversed, nanometers = microns ÷ 0.001, which is the same as multiplying by 1000.
Which is the bigger unit, the nanometer or the micron?
The micron. One nanometer is only 0.001 of a micron, so it takes 1000 nanometers to make one micron.
What does this quantity actually measure?
Both units measure length. That is why a single factor is enough: there is no temperature offset and no material property involved, unlike conversions that cross between different quantities.
What is a nanometer?
One billionth of a metre — the scale of light wavelengths and chip lithography.
What is a micron?
The older name for a micrometre, still standard in filtration, machining and paint-thickness specifications.
Why does my answer differ from another converter?
Almost always because the other tool rounded the factor before multiplying. This page keeps full double precision through the calculation and rounds only for display, and it prints the factor it used so you can see where any difference came from.
Nanometers to microns reference tables
| Nanometers | Microns |
|---|---|
| 0.5 nm | 0.0005 micron |
| 1 nm | 0.001 micron |
| 2 nm | 0.002 micron |
| 3 nm | 0.003 micron |
| 5 nm | 0.005 micron |
| 10 nm | 0.01 micron |
| 20 nm | 0.02 micron |
| 25 nm | 0.025 micron |
| 50 nm | 0.05 micron |
| 75 nm | 0.075 micron |
| 100 nm | 0.1 micron |
| 250 nm | 0.25 micron |
| 500 nm | 0.5 micron |
| 1000 nm | 1 micron |
| 5000 nm | 5 micron |
Exact factor: 1 nanometer = 0.001 microns.
| Quantity | nm | micron |
|---|---|---|
| A credit card’s long edge | 8.56e+07 nm | 8.56e+04 micron |
| A door height | 2.032e+09 nm | 2.032e+06 micron |
| An Olympic pool | 5e+10 nm | 5e+07 micron |
| The Eiffel Tower | 3.3e+11 nm | 3.3e+08 micron |
| A marathon | 4.22e+13 nm | 4.22e+10 micron |
| Earth’s diameter | 1.274e+16 nm | 1.274e+13 micron |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.