Convert Femtonewtons to Dynes
Convert Femtonewtons (fN) to Dynes (dyn) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
dyn = fN × 1.000000000e-10
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 Dynes
The dyne (dyn) is the CGS unit of force - the force to accelerate 1 g at 1 cm/s² - exactly 10⁻⁵ N. Surface tension is universally expressed in dyn/cm (= mN/m): water 72.8 dyn/cm; mercury 487 dyn/cm; ethanol 22.1 dyn/cm. Astrophysics and plasma physics papers use dyn/cm² for pressure; solar photon radiation pressure at Earth's orbit is ~4.56 × 10⁻⁵ dyn/cm². The dyne pairs naturally with other CGS units (poise, erg, gauss), which is why it persists in stellar modelling and X-ray binary spectra literature. 1 dyn = 10⁻⁵ N = 10 µN.
Quick Reference Table
| Femtonewtons (fN) | Dynes (dyn) |
|---|---|
| 1 fN | 1 × 10-10 dyn |
| 2 fN | 2 × 10-10 dyn |
| 5 fN | 5 × 10-10 dyn |
| 10 fN | 1 × 10-9 dyn |
| 25 fN | 2.5 × 10-9 dyn |
| 50 fN | 5 × 10-9 dyn |
| 100 fN | 1 × 10-8 dyn |