UnitsConverter.io

Angstrom (Å) - Unit Information & Conversion

Symbol:Å
Plural:angstroms
Category:Length

What is a Angstrom?

Definition

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.

History

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

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.

Unit FAQs

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.

Angstrom Conversion Formulas

To Meter:

1 Å = 1.0000e-10 m
Example: 5 angstroms = 5.0000e-10 meters

To Kilometer:

1 Å = 1.0000e-13 km
Example: 5 angstroms = 5.0000e-13 kilometers

To Hectometer:

1 Å = 1.0000e-12 hm
Example: 5 angstroms = 5.0000e-12 hectometers

To Decimeter:

1 Å = 1.0000e-9 dm
Example: 5 angstroms = 5.0000e-9 decimeters

To Centimeter:

1 Å = 1.0000e-8 cm
Example: 5 angstroms = 5.0000e-8 centimeters

To Millimeter:

1 Å = 1.0000e-7 mm
Example: 5 angstroms = 5.0000e-7 millimeters

To Inch:

1 Å = 3.9370e-9 in
Example: 5 angstroms = 1.9685e-8 inches

To Foot:

1 Å = 3.2808e-10 ft
Example: 5 angstroms = 1.6404e-9 feet

To Yard:

1 Å = 1.0936e-10 yd
Example: 5 angstroms = 5.4681e-10 yards

To Mile:

1 Å = 6.2137e-14 mi
Example: 5 angstroms = 3.1069e-13 miles

To Nautical Mile:

1 Å = 5.3996e-14 NM
Example: 5 angstroms = 2.6998e-13 nautical miles

To Micrometer:

1 Å = 0.0001 μm
Example: 5 angstroms = 0.0005 micrometers

To Nanometer:

1 Å = 0.1 nm
Example: 5 angstroms = 0.5 nanometers

To Light Year:

1 Å = 1.0570e-26 ly
Example: 5 angstroms = 5.2849e-26 light years

To Astronomical Unit:

1 Å = 6.6845e-22 AU
Example: 5 angstroms = 3.3422e-21 astronomical units

To Parsec:

1 Å = 3.2408e-27 pc
Example: 5 angstroms = 1.6204e-26 parsecs

To Point (Typography):

1 Å = 2.8346e-7 pt
Example: 5 angstroms = 0.000001 points

To Mil/Thou:

1 Å = 0.000004 mil
Example: 5 angstroms = 0.00002 mils

To Fathom:

1 Å = 5.4681e-11 fath
Example: 5 angstroms = 2.7340e-10 fathoms

To Furlong:

1 Å = 4.9710e-13 fur
Example: 5 angstroms = 2.4855e-12 furlongs

To Link (Gunter's):

1 Å = 4.9710e-10 li
Example: 5 angstroms = 2.4855e-9 links

To Pace:

1 Å = 1.3123e-10 pace
Example: 5 angstroms = 6.5617e-10 paces

To Span:

1 Å = 4.3745e-10 span
Example: 5 angstroms = 2.1872e-9 spans

To Digit:

1 Å = 5.2493e-9 digit
Example: 5 angstroms = 2.6247e-8 digits

To Cable Length:

1 Å = 5.3996e-13 cb
Example: 5 angstroms = 2.6998e-12 cable lengths

To Ell:

1 Å = 8.7489e-11 ell
Example: 5 angstroms = 4.3745e-10 ells

To Finger:

1 Å = 8.7489e-10 finger
Example: 5 angstroms = 4.3745e-9 fingers

To Roman Mile:

1 Å = 6.7568e-14 m.p.
Example: 5 angstroms = 3.3784e-13 Roman miles

To Stadion:

1 Å = 5.4054e-13 stadion
Example: 5 angstroms = 2.7027e-12 stadia

To Chi (Chinese):

1 Å = 3.0003e-10 chi
Example: 5 angstroms = 1.5002e-9 chi

To Shaku (Japanese):

1 Å = 3.3003e-10 shaku
Example: 5 angstroms = 1.6502e-9 shaku

To Li (Chinese):

1 Å = 2.0000e-13 li
Example: 5 angstroms = 1.0000e-12 li

To Toise:

1 Å = 5.1308e-11 toise
Example: 5 angstroms = 2.5654e-10 toise

To Bolt:

1 Å = 3.2808e-12 bolt
Example: 5 angstroms = 1.6404e-11 bolts

To Rope:

1 Å = 1.6404e-11 rope
Example: 5 angstroms = 8.2021e-11 ropes

To Smoot:

1 Å = 5.8761e-11 smoot
Example: 5 angstroms = 2.9381e-10 smoots

To Sajene:

1 Å = 4.6869e-11 sajene
Example: 5 angstroms = 2.3435e-10 sajenes

To Ken:

1 Å = 5.5006e-11 ken
Example: 5 angstroms = 2.7503e-10 ken

To Wa:

1 Å = 5.0000e-11 wa
Example: 5 angstroms = 2.5000e-10 wa

To Vara:

1 Å = 1.1930e-10 vara
Example: 5 angstroms = 5.9652e-10 varas

To Aln:

1 Å = 1.6835e-10 aln
Example: 5 angstroms = 8.4175e-10 alnar

To Cubit (Royal/Egyptian):

1 Å = 1.9120e-10 cubit
Example: 5 angstroms = 9.5602e-10 cubits

To Versta:

1 Å = 9.3738e-14 versta
Example: 5 angstroms = 4.6869e-13 versts

To Arpent:

1 Å = 1.7102e-12 arpent
Example: 5 angstroms = 8.5512e-12 arpents

To Ri (Japanese):

1 Å = 2.5465e-14 ri
Example: 5 angstroms = 1.2732e-13 ri

To Klafter:

1 Å = 5.2729e-11 klafter
Example: 5 angstroms = 2.6364e-10 klafter

To Yojana:

1 Å = 7.4074e-15 yojana
Example: 5 angstroms = 3.7037e-14 yojanas

To Skein:

1 Å = 9.1134e-13 skein
Example: 5 angstroms = 4.5567e-12 skeins

Convert Angstrom

Need to convert Angstrom to other length units? Use our conversion tool.

Go to Length ConverterConvert from Angstrom

Angstrom Quick Info

Å
Symbol:Å
Category:Length
System:Various
Convert Angstrom

Related Length Units

Popular Conversions

See all length conversions →