Convert Attonewtons to Femtonewtons
Convert Attonewtons (aN) to Femtonewtons (fN) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
fN = aN × 0.001
About Attonewtons
An attonewton (aN) is 10⁻¹⁸ N - the force scale of individual photon recoil and quantum vacuum effects. The thermal noise floor of an AFM cantilever at room temperature is ~1-10 aN/√Hz. A 532 nm photon absorbed by a trapped ion imparts ~0.3 aN of recoil. Casimir forces between conducting surfaces 10-100 nm apart are 1-100 aN. NEMS resonators have demonstrated force sensitivity below 1 aN/√Hz, enabling single-molecule adsorption detection. Optomechanical cavities probe radiation pressure at the attonewton scale to test quantum measurement limits. 1 aN = 10⁻¹⁸ N.
About Femtonewtons
A femtonewton (fN) is 10⁻¹⁵ N - the force scale of single-molecule biology. RNA polymerase exerts a stall force of ~14-25 fN while transiting DNA at 10-50 bp/s. Myosin V motor proteins step 37 nm with ~1-3 fN per head. The viscous drag on a 100 nm nanoparticle moving at 1 µm/s through cytoplasm is ~0.2-0.5 fN. Optical tweezers with back-focal-plane detection resolve sub-femtonewton forces, enabling measurement of single-enzyme output. AFM receptor-ligand unbinding (e.g., biotin-streptavidin) gives adhesion forces of 100-300 fN. 1 fN = 10⁻¹⁵ N.
Quick Reference Table
| Attonewtons (aN) | Femtonewtons (fN) |
|---|---|
| 1 aN | 0.001 fN |
| 2 aN | 0.002 fN |
| 5 aN | 0.005 fN |
| 10 aN | 0.01 fN |
| 25 aN | 0.025 fN |
| 50 aN | 0.05 fN |
| 100 aN | 0.1 fN |