Finger to Angstrom Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool
Convert fingers to angstroms with our free online length converter.
Finger to Angstrom Calculator
How to Use the Calculator:
- Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Finger).
- The converted value in Angstrom will appear automatically in the 'To' field.
- Use the dropdown menus to select different units within the Length category.
- Click the swap button (⇌) to reverse the conversion direction.
How to Convert Finger to Angstrom
Converting Finger to Angstrom involves multiplying the value by a specific conversion factor, as shown in the formula below.
Formula:
1 Finger = 1.1430e+9 angstromsExample Calculation:
Convert 10 fingers: 10 × 1.1430e+9 = 1.1430e+10 angstroms
Disclaimer: For Reference Only
These conversion results are provided for informational purposes only. While we strive for accuracy, we make no guarantees regarding the precision of these results, especially for conversions involving extremely large or small numbers which may be subject to the inherent limitations of standard computer floating-point arithmetic.
Not for professional use. Results should be verified before use in any critical application. View our Terms of Service for more information.
What is a Finger and a Angstrom?
The Finger (sometimes finger's breadth, though this can be confusingly similar to the 'digit') is an archaic English unit of length. Its definition was inconsistent, leading to significant ambiguity. Two primary definitions existed:
-
As 1/8th of a yard: This was a common definition, equating the finger to:
- 4.5 inches (in)
- 1/2 of a quarter-yard (or "quarter")
- 0.1143 meters (m)
- 11.43 centimeters (cm)
-
As 1/16th of a yard: This definition made the finger identical to another unit called the nail, equating it to:
- 2.25 inches (in)
- 0.05715 meters (m)
- 5.715 centimeters (cm)
The term likely originated from anthropomorphic measurement but became tied to fractions of the standard yard, particularly in the context of measuring cloth. It is distinct from, and generally longer than, the unit called a digit (typically ~0.75 inches).
The Angstrom (symbol Å) is a non-SI unit of length equal to exactly 10⁻¹⁰ meters (one ten-billionth of a meter) or 0.1 nanometers (nm). While not part of the modern International System of Units (SI), it remains widely used in various scientific fields due to its convenient scale for atomic and molecular dimensions. It provides a direct way to express sizes at the sub-nanometer level without resorting to fractions or powers of ten for nanometers.
Note: The Finger is part of the imperial/US customary system, primarily used in the US, UK, and Canada for everyday measurements. The Angstrom belongs to the imperial/US customary system.
History of the Finger and Angstrom
The finger was used historically in England, primarily from the medieval period into the early modern era. Its main application was in the measurement of cloth, alongside other specialized units like the nail (often 2.25 inches) and the ell (often 45 inches).
The existence of multiple definitions (4.5 inches vs. 2.25 inches) highlights the lack of strict standardization for many older units. The 2.25-inch finger was identical to the nail, suggesting the terms might have been used interchangeably in some contexts or that one definition arose from confusion with the other.
Compared to more fundamental units like the inch, foot, yard, or even the digit and palm, the "finger" as a distinct unit (especially the 4.5-inch version) appears less frequently in historical records. Its usage declined significantly with the standardization of the Imperial system (which favored inches and yards) and the later adoption of the metric system. It is now entirely obsolete.
The Angstrom unit is named after the Swedish physicist Anders Jonas Ångström (1814–1874), one of the founders of the science of spectroscopy. Ångström used this unit in 1868 to create a chart of the wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation in sunlight, expressing them as multiples of 10⁻¹⁰ meters. This scale proved extremely convenient for expressing atomic radii, chemical bond lengths, and the wavelengths of X-rays. Although the nanometer (nm) and picometer (pm) are the preferred SI units for these scales today, the Angstrom's historical prevalence means it persists in many scientific disciplines, particularly in crystallography, atomic physics, and chemistry literature.
Common Uses for fingers and angstroms
Explore the typical applications for both Finger (imperial/US) and Angstrom (imperial/US) to understand their common contexts.
Common Uses for fingers
The finger is obsolete and has no modern practical application. Its relevance is primarily historical:
- Historical Cloth Trade: Measurements in "fingers" might be encountered in older English documents, inventories, or tailor's records related to textiles. Understanding its potential ambiguity (4.5 vs 2.25 inches) is crucial.
- Understanding Historical Units: Studying the finger helps illustrate the complexity and variability of pre-standardized measurement systems and the specific units used in the textile industry.
- Rare & Obsolete: It was never as widespread or consistently defined as units like the inch, foot, or yard.
Common Uses for angstroms
The Angstrom is frequently used to measure dimensions at the atomic scale:
- Atomic Radii: Expressing the size of atoms (e.g., the covalent radius of a carbon atom is about 0.77 Å).
- Chemical Bond Lengths: Measuring the distance between nuclei in molecules (e.g., the O-H bond length in water is about 0.96 Å).
- Crystallography: Describing the dimensions of crystal lattices and the spacing between atomic planes, often determined using X-ray diffraction.
- Spectroscopy: Specifying the wavelengths of X-rays and some ultraviolet light.
- Microscopy: Measuring features in electron microscopy images.
- Integrated Circuits: Sometimes used historically or informally to describe feature sizes in semiconductor manufacturing, although nanometers are now standard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions About Finger (finger)
How long is a Finger?
The length of a finger was not consistently defined. The two most common historical definitions in England were:
- 4.5 inches (11.43 cm), equal to 1/8th of a yard.
- 2.25 inches (5.715 cm), equal to 1/16th of a yard (and identical to the unit called a 'nail'). Context is essential when encountering this unit in historical texts.
Is a Finger the same as a Digit?
No. Although both terms relate to the human finger, they represented different historical units of length.
- The Digit (or fingerbreadth) was typically much shorter, around 0.75 inches (approx. 1.9 cm), representing the width of a finger.
- The Finger was significantly longer, either 4.5 inches or 2.25 inches, likely derived as a fraction of a yard rather than directly from finger anatomy in later usage.
What is the relationship between a Finger and a Nail?
The unit called a Nail was commonly defined as 1/16th of a yard (2.25 inches). Therefore:
- One definition of the Finger (2.25 inches) was identical to the Nail.
- The other common definition of the Finger (4.5 inches) was twice the length of a Nail.
Is the Finger an SI unit?
No, the finger is not an SI unit. It is an archaic, non-standardized unit primarily used historically in England. The SI base unit for length is the meter (m).
Is the Finger still used?
No, the finger as a unit of length is completely obsolete and is not used in any modern standard, scientific, or commercial measurements. Its relevance is purely historical.
Where does the name 'Finger' come from?
The name undoubtedly originates from the human finger. However, while the digit unit directly related to finger width, the 'Finger' unit (especially the 4.5-inch version) seems to have become a conventional term for a specific fraction (1/8th or 1/16th) of a yard, particularly in cloth measurement, losing its direct anatomical connection.
About Angstrom (Å)
How many Angstroms are in a meter?
There are 10,000,000,000 (ten billion) Angstroms in one meter (1 m = 10¹⁰ Å). Conversely, 1 Angstrom = 10⁻¹⁰ meters.
How many Angstroms are in a nanometer?
There are exactly 10 Angstroms (Å) in one nanometer (nm). Therefore, 1 Å = 0.1 nm.
Is the Angstrom an SI unit?
No, the Angstrom is not part of the International System of Units (SI). The official SI unit for length at this scale is the nanometer (nm) (10⁻⁹ m) or the picometer (pm) (10⁻¹² m). 1 Å = 100 pm.
Why is the Angstrom still used if it's not an SI unit?
The Angstrom persists due to historical convention and its convenient size for atomic-scale measurements. Many scientific fields, like crystallography and atomic physics, developed using the Angstrom, and much historical data and literature use it. Its scale (0.1 nm) often allows for expressing atomic dimensions as numbers close to unity without decimals or exponents, which can be convenient.
What fields commonly use Angstroms?
The Angstrom remains common in:
- Crystallography: Describing crystal structures and diffraction patterns.
- Atomic Physics: Measuring atomic radii and energy level transitions.
- Chemistry: Specifying molecular bond lengths and structures.
- Spectroscopy: Particularly for X-ray wavelengths.
- Materials Science: Characterizing thin films and nanostructures.
- Structural Biology: Describing protein and nucleic acid structures.
Conversion Table: Finger to Angstrom
| Finger (finger) | Angstrom (Å) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1,143,000,000 |
| 5 | 5,715,000,000 |
| 10 | 11,430,000,000 |
| 25 | 28,575,000,000 |
| 50 | 57,150,000,000 |
| 100 | 114,300,000,000 |
| 500 | 571,500,000,000 |
| 1,000 | 1,143,000,000,000 |
All Length Conversions
Other Units from Length
- Meter (m)
- Kilometer (km)
- Hectometer (hm)
- Decimeter (dm)
- Centimeter (cm)
- Millimeter (mm)
- Inch (in)
- Foot (ft)
- Yard (yd)
- Mile (mi)
- Nautical Mile (NM)
- Micrometer (μm)
- Nanometer (nm)
- Light Year (ly)
- Astronomical Unit (AU)
- Parsec (pc)
- Point (Typography) (pt)
- Mil/Thou (mil)
- Fathom (fath)
- Furlong (fur)
- Link (Gunter's) (li)
- Pace (pace)
- Span (span)
- Digit (digit)
- Cable Length (cb)
- Ell (ell)
- Roman Mile (m.p.)
- Stadion (stadion)
- Chi (Chinese) (chi)
- Shaku (Japanese) (shaku)
- Li (Chinese) (li)
- Toise (toise)
- Bolt (bolt)
- Rope (rope)
- Smoot (smoot)
- Sajene (sajene)
- Ken (ken)
- Wa (wa)
- Vara (vara)
- Aln (aln)
- Cubit (Royal/Egyptian) (cubit)
- Versta (versta)
- Arpent (arpent)
- Ri (Japanese) (ri)
- Klafter (klafter)
- Yojana (yojana)
- Skein (skein)