Convert Thou to Nanometers
Convert Thou (th) to Nanometers (nm) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
nm = th × 25400
About Thou
A thou (also called mil) is one thousandth of an inch, equal to 0.0254 millimeters or 25.4 micrometers. This unit is commonly used in engineering and manufacturing in countries that use imperial measurements, particularly for specifying tolerances, wire gauges, and thin material thicknesses. For example, a standard plastic bag might be 1-2 thou thick, a sheet of paper is about 4 thou, and precision machined parts often have tolerances measured in thou. Electronic circuit board copper traces are typically 1.4 thou thick.
About Nanometers
A nanometer (nm) is one billionth of a meter (10⁻⁹ m), roughly the width of 3-4 atoms placed side by side. This scale is where nanotechnology operates and is visible light wavelengths are measured. Visible light ranges from about 400 nm (violet) to 700 nm (red). DNA molecules are about 2.5 nm wide, and modern computer processors have transistors as small as 3-5 nm. A human hair is approximately 80,000-100,000 nanometers thick, making one nanometer incredibly tiny by human standards.
Quick Reference Table
| Thou (th) | Nanometers (nm) |
|---|---|
| 1 th | 25400 nm |
| 2 th | 50800 nm |
| 5 th | 127000 nm |
| 10 th | 254000 nm |
| 25 th | 635000 nm |
| 50 th | 1270000 nm |
| 100 th | 2540000 nm |