One micron is exactly 1000 nanometers, so converting microns to nanometers is a single multiplication. Enter any figure and the result appears as you type — the arithmetic runs in your browser, so nothing is sent anywhere.
One billionth of a metre — the scale of light wavelengths and chip lithography. The older name for a micrometre, still standard in filtration, machining and paint-thickness specifications.
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 nanometers so the number you get has something to be compared against.
The formula
microns- The amount you are converting, in microns
1000- The exact number of nanometers in one micron
nanometers- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in microns.
- It is multiplied by 1000, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in nanometers, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
A credit card’s long edge: 8.56e+04 micron in nanometers
Take a credit card’s long edge, roughly 8.56e+04 micron. The conversion is a single multiplication — 8.56e+04 × 1000 — giving 8.56e+07 nm. Because the relationship is proportional, doubling the input doubles the answer to 1.712e+08 nm.
A door height: 2.03e+06 micron in nanometers
A door height comes to about 2.03e+06 micron. Multiplying by the factor: 2.03e+06 × 1000 = 2.03e+09 nm. Dividing the answer back by 1000 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 nanometers are in one micron?
Exactly 1000. 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 microns to nanometers?
nanometers = microns × 1000. Reversed, microns = nanometers ÷ 1000, which is the same as multiplying by 0.001.
Which is the bigger unit, the micron or the nanometer?
The micron. One micron equals 1000 nanometers.
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 micron?
The older name for a micrometre, still standard in filtration, machining and paint-thickness specifications.
What is a nanometer?
One billionth of a metre — the scale of light wavelengths and chip lithography.
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.
Microns to nanometers reference tables
| Microns | Nanometers |
|---|---|
| 0.5 micron | 500 nm |
| 1 micron | 1000 nm |
| 2 micron | 2000 nm |
| 3 micron | 3000 nm |
| 5 micron | 5000 nm |
| 10 micron | 10000 nm |
| 20 micron | 20,000 nm |
| 25 micron | 25,000 nm |
| 50 micron | 50,000 nm |
| 75 micron | 75,000 nm |
| 100 micron | 100,000 nm |
| 250 micron | 250,000 nm |
| 500 micron | 500,000 nm |
| 1000 micron | 1e+06 nm |
| 5000 micron | 5e+06 nm |
Exact factor: 1 micron = 1000 nanometers.
| Quantity | micron | nm |
|---|---|---|
| A credit card’s long edge | 8.56e+04 micron | 8.56e+07 nm |
| A door height | 2.032e+06 micron | 2.032e+09 nm |
| An Olympic pool | 5e+07 micron | 5e+10 nm |
| The Eiffel Tower | 3.3e+08 micron | 3.3e+11 nm |
| A marathon | 4.22e+10 micron | 4.22e+13 nm |
| Earth’s diameter | 1.274e+13 micron | 1.274e+16 nm |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.