the.com/nanometer
A billionth of a meter, where the rules of physics start playing dirty.
means A nanometer is a unit of length equal to one billionth of a meter, the scale at which atoms, molecules, and light's wavelengths are measured.
from Built from two parts: the Greek 'nanos,' meaning 'dwarf,' and 'meter,' from Greek 'metron,' 'a measure.' The 'nano-' prefix was officially adopted into the metric system in the mid-20th century, repurposing that ancient word for 'dwarf' to mean a factor of one-billionth — a fitting demotion, turning a small person into the smallest of measures.
size checkYour fingernail grows one nanometer per second
chip warsModern transistors are mere nanometers wide
light limitSmaller than visible light's wavelength can resolve
DNA scaleThe double helix is two nanometers across
name originFrom Greek nanos, meaning dwarf