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Nanometers to Picometers Converter
↔ Convert pm to nm instead

Common Conversions

nm pm
0.01 10
0.05 50
0.1 100
0.121 121
0.154 154
0.2 200
0.5 500
1 1000
5 5000
10 10000
100 100000

Why this conversion matters in chemistry

Nanometers feel natural for things that are small but not atomic — quantum dots, protein diameters, UV-Vis absorption wavelengths. Picometers are where individual bonds live. When a 5 nm nanoparticle sits on a lattice whose unit cell is 500 pm across, you want both scales in the same units to work out how many unit cells actually fit inside. Multiplying by 1000 bridges the two. The same step also lets you quote a 0.154 nm bond in its more familiar form as 154 pm when comparing against a textbook table.

Formula

pm = nm × 1000

Worked Examples

1 nm = 1000 pm

One nanometer, the rough size of a small protein or a short DNA segment.

0.154 nm = 154 pm

The C–C single bond, written in nm by a paper that stayed in SI throughout.

0.121 nm = 121 pm

A C=O double bond, in the register an X-ray crystallographer might use before converting to Å for the deposited structure.

0.096 nm = 96 pm

The O–H bond in water, which shows up in hydrogen-bonding calculations on one scale or the other depending on whose notes you're reading.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I convert nm to pm?
Multiply by 1000. The relationship is exact, so 0.154 nm is precisely 154 pm and doesn't need rounding.
Which unit is standard for bond lengths?
Both nm and pm appear, along with the older ångström. IUPAC now recommends pm. In practice, 1 nm = 1000 pm = 10 Å, so the same bond can be quoted three ways in three different sources.
What are some common bond lengths in pm?
C–H around 109 pm, C–C around 154 pm, C=C around 134 pm, C≡C around 120 pm, C–O around 143 pm, and O–H around 96 pm. Those six cover most of what shows up in organic structures.
Are atomic radii also quoted in pm?
Yes. Covalent radii fall in the 25–250 pm range — H at 31 pm, C at 77 pm, O at 66 pm by the Cordero 2008 compilation (older tables often quote ~73 pm). Van der Waals radii are larger, which matters when reasoning about non-bonded contacts in a crystal packing.