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What is a angstrom?

Used in chemistry and crystallography for atomic dimensions

Definition

The angstrom equals 10⁻¹⁰ meters or 0.1 nanometers. It is used in chemistry and crystallography for atomic and molecular dimensions. The Bohr radius — the characteristic size of a hydrogen atom — is 0.529 Å. Covalent bond lengths are typically 1–2 Å.

Common uses

  • X-ray crystallography and protein structure
  • Chemical bond length measurement
  • Atomic physics and spectroscopy

🌍 Real-world scale

A water molecule is about 1 Å across. The covalent bond in H₂ is 0.74 Å. X-ray wavelengths are 0.1–100 Å.

Convert from angstroms

14 conversions
Angstrom to Meter1 Å = 1.0000e-10 mAngstrom to Kilometer1 Å = 1.0000e-13 kmAngstrom to Centimeter1 Å = 1.0000e-8 cmAngstrom to Millimeter1 Å = 1.0000e-7 mmAngstrom to Mile1 Å = 6.2137e-14 miAngstrom to Yard1 Å = 1.0936e-10 ydAngstrom to Foot1 Å = 3.2808e-10 ftAngstrom to Inch1 Å = 3.9370e-9 inAngstrom to Nautical Mile1 Å = 5.3996e-14 nmiAngstrom to Micrometer1 Å = 0.0001 µmAngstrom to Nanometer1 Å = 0.1 nmAngstrom to Light Year1 Å = 1.0570e-26 lyAngstrom to Furlong1 Å = 4.9710e-13 furAngstrom to Fathom1 Å = 5.4681e-11 ftm

Convert to angstroms

14 conversions
Meter to Angstrom1 m = 10,000,000,000 ÅKilometer to Angstrom1 km = 10,000,000,000,000 ÅCentimeter to Angstrom1 cm = 100,000,000 ÅMillimeter to Angstrom1 mm = 10,000,000 ÅMile to Angstrom1 mi = 16,093,440,000,000 ÅYard to Angstrom1 yd = 9,144,000,000 ÅFoot to Angstrom1 ft = 3,048,000,000 ÅInch to Angstrom1 in = 254,000,000 ÅNautical Mile to Angstrom1 nmi = 18,520,000,000,000 ÅMicrometer to Angstrom1 µm = 10,000 ÅNanometer to Angstrom1 nm = 10 ÅLight Year to Angstrom1 ly = 9.4607e25 ÅFurlong to Angstrom1 fur = 2,011,680,000,000 ÅFathom to Angstrom1 ftm = 18,288,000,000 Å

Tips

  • 1 Å = 0.1 nm = 100 pm. Modern SI recommends nm or pm for new publications.
  • The ångström is named after the Swedish physicist Anders Jonas Ångström.
  • For quick atomic-scale intuition: most atoms are 1–3 Å across.

Common mistakes

  • Mixing up Å with µm — the scale differs by 10,000×.
  • Using Å for anything macroscopic — always use nm or mm for things visible under a light microscope.
  • Forgetting the diacritic in "Ångström" — the symbol Å avoids spelling issues.

FAQ about the angstrom

What is a angstrom?
The angstrom equals 10⁻¹⁰ meters or 0.1 nanometers. It is used in chemistry and crystallography for atomic and molecular dimensions. The Bohr radius — the characteristic size of a hydrogen atom — is 0.529 Å. Covalent bond lengths are typically 1–2 Å.
Where is the angstrom used?
The angstrom is commonly used for: X-ray crystallography and protein structure; Chemical bond length measurement; Atomic physics and spectroscopy.
What is an example of a angstrom in real life?
A water molecule is about 1 Å across. The covalent bond in H₂ is 0.74 Å. X-ray wavelengths are 0.1–100 Å.
What category does the angstrom belong to?
The angstrom is a unit of length, part of the 15-unit length category on UnitConv.
How accurate are angstrom conversions?
All conversion factors follow NIST and BIPM international standards to 8 significant figures — the highest practical accuracy.
Explore all 15 length units and their conversions.📏 Length hub →