Size of Nanoscale

How small is “small”? And what does “nano” mean?The mere prefix “nano” means in itself one-billionth which means that one single nanometer is one-billionth of the meter. Well, now you know exactly how much one nanometer is. However, since things at such tiny scale are invisible to the naked eye, it is still extremely difficult to imagine it, so here are some measurements to help you have a clear picture:

  • An ant is about 5 000 000 nanometers long
  • One single bacterium is about 1000 nanometers long
  • One sheet of paper is about 100 000 nanometer thick
  • A human hand – 100 000 000 nanometers long
  • The water molecule is about 1,5 nanometers
  • A single strand of hair is about 80 000 up to 100 000 nanometers wide
  • 1 nanometer per second is the rate at which fingernails grow