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{{Short description|Prefix denoting 10 to the −9th power}}

'''Nano''' (symbol '''n''') is a unit prefix meaning one [[Billionth|billionth]].  Used primarily with the [[Metric system|metric system]], this prefix denotes a factor of 10<sup>−9</sup> or {{Gaps|0.000|000|001}}. It is frequently encountered in [[Science|science]] and [[Engineering:Electronics|electronics]] for prefixing [[Unit of measurement|units]] of [[Time|time]] and [[Physics:Length|length]].

;Examples:
* Three gold atoms lined up are about one nanometer (nm) long.
* If a [[Engineering:Marble (toy)|toy marble]] were scaled down to one nanometer wide, Earth would scale to about {{convert|1|m|ft|sp=us}} wide.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nano.gov/nanotech-101/what/nano-size|title=Size of the Nanoscale|publisher=[[Organization:National Nanotechnology Initiative|National Nanotechnology Initiative]]|access-date=2020-05-14}}</ref>
* One [[Nanosecond|nanosecond]] (ns) is about the time required for light to travel 30 cm in air, or 20 cm in an optical fiber. 
* One nanometer per second (nm/s) is approximately the speed that a fingernail grows.

The prefix derives from the Greek {{lang|grc|νᾶνος}} (Latin {{lang|la|nanus}}), meaning "dwarf". The [[General Conference on Weights and Measures]] (CGPM) officially endorsed the usage of ''nano'' as a standard prefix in 1960.

When used as a [[Social:Prefix|prefix]] for something other than a unit of measure  (as for example in words like "nanoscience"), '''nano''' refers to [[Engineering:Nanotechnology|nanotechnology]], or means "on a scale of nanometres" (nanoscale).

{{SI prefixes (infobox)}}

== Nanometre ==
{{excerpt|Nanometre}}

== Nanosecond ==
{{excerpt|Nanosecond}}

== See also ==
* [[RKM code]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:SI prefixes]]

simple:Nano-

{{Sourceattribution|Nano-}}