How to Convert Micrometres to Nanometres (µm to nm)
Length conversions come up when reading overseas furniture specs, cycling the Round Island Route in kilometres while a foreign app shows miles, or checking marine distances in the Singapore Strait in nautical miles. This guide shows how to convert micrometres into nanometres by hand, with examples and a quick-reference table.
The conversion
To convert micrometres to nanometres, multiply the value by 1,000. To go the other way, divide by the same number (or multiply by 0.001). For a quick estimate, multiply by about 1,000.
Nanometres = micrometres × 1,000
Worked examples
- 3 µm = 3,000 nm
- 12.5 µm = 12,500 nm
- 75 µm = 75,000 nm
Micrometres to Nanometres table
| Micrometres | Nanometres |
|---|---|
| 1 µm | 1,000 nm |
| 2 µm | 2,000 nm |
| 5 µm | 5,000 nm |
| 10 µm | 10,000 nm |
| 20 µm | 20,000 nm |
| 25 µm | 25,000 nm |
| 50 µm | 50,000 nm |
| 100 µm | 100,000 nm |
| 250 µm | 250,000 nm |
| 500 µm | 500,000 nm |
| 1,000 µm | 1,000,000 nm |
Common questions
Is µm to nm exact?
The factors used here are the internationally defined values where they exist; results are rounded for display only.
How do I convert back?
Use the Nanometres to Micrometres converter.
Mistakes to avoid
Multiplying when you should divide
Converting to a smaller unit gives a bigger number, and converting to a larger unit gives a smaller one. If your answer moves the wrong way, you have inverted the factor.
Dropping the units
A bare number without a unit is easy to misread later. Always write the unit with the result.
Forgetting squared and cubed units
Area and volume factors are the length factor squared or cubed, so 1 m² is about 10.76 sq ft, not 3.28.
Background
Unit conversion is simply multiplication by a fixed ratio. The ratio between two units of the same quantity never changes, so once you know it you can convert any value in either direction.
Writing the units next to every number while you work is the simplest way to avoid mistakes. If the units do not cancel to leave the one you want, the calculation is set up wrongly.
Singapore adopted the metric system in the 1970s, replacing imperial units and traditional Chinese measures in most official uses. Metric units are now standard in schools, trade and government, but older units survive in property, markets and imported goods.
For any value, use the Micrometres to Nanometres Converter or browse all length converters.
Run your own numbers: Micrometres to Nanometres Converter