Convert Femtonewtons to Centinewtons
Convert Femtonewtons (fN) to Centinewtons (cN) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
cN = fN × 1.000000000e-13
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.
About Centinewtons
A centinewton (cN) is exactly 0.01 N - the standard force unit of the textile industry. ISO and ASTM specs give fibre tenacity in cN/tex (centinewtons per tex, where 1 tex = 1 g/km): high-tenacity polyester 70-80 cN/tex; Kevlar/Twaron para-aramid 200-250 cN/tex; Dyneema/Spectra UHMWPE >350 cN/tex. Sewing thread breaking strength is 200-800 cN. Packaging tensile testers, adhesive peel-force instruments, and fine spring calibrators all report in cN. 1 cN ≈ 1 pond (0.980665 cN). 100 cN = 1 N.
Quick Reference Table
| Femtonewtons (fN) | Centinewtons (cN) |
|---|---|
| 1 fN | 1 × 10-13 cN |
| 2 fN | 2 × 10-13 cN |
| 5 fN | 5 × 10-13 cN |
| 10 fN | 1 × 10-12 cN |
| 25 fN | 2.5 × 10-12 cN |
| 50 fN | 5 × 10-12 cN |
| 100 fN | 1 × 10-11 cN |