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This article describes the SI prefix. For other meanings, see Nano.

Look up nano- in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

nano (symbol n) is a prefix in the International System of Units denoting a factor of 10⁻⁹ or 0.000000001. It is frequently encountered in science and electronics for prefixing units of time and length, like 30 nanoseconds (symbol ns), 100 nanometres (nm) or in the case of electrical capacitance, 100 nanofarads (nF).

The prefix is derived from the Greek νᾶνος, meaning dwarf, and was officially confirmed as standard in 1960.

In the United States, the use of the nano prefix for the farad unit of electrical capacitance is uncommon; capacitors of that size are more often expressed in terms of a small fraction of a microfarad or a large number of picofarads.

When used as a prefix for something other than a unit of measure, as in "nanoscience", nano means relating to nanotechnology, or on a scale of nanometres.

SI prefixes
1000^m	10ⁿ	Prefix	Symbol	Since^[1]	Short scale	Long scale	Decimal
1000⁸	10²⁴	yotta	Y	1991	Septillion	Quadrillion	1000000000000000000000000
1000⁷	10²¹	zetta	Z	1991	Sextillion	Trilliard	1000000000000000000000
1000⁶	10¹⁸	exa	E	1975	Quintillion	Trillion	1000000000000000000
1000⁵	10¹⁵	peta	P	1975	Quadrillion	Billiard	1000000000000000
1000⁴	10¹²	tera	T	1960	Trillion	Billion	1000000000000
1000³	10⁹	giga	G	1960	Billion	Milliard	1000000000
1000²	10⁶	mega	M	1960	Million		1000000
1000¹	10³	kilo	k	1795	Thousand		1000
1000^²⁄₃	10²	hecto	h	1795	Hundred		100
1000^¹⁄₃	10¹	deca	da	1795	Ten		10
1000⁰	10⁰	(none)	(none)	NA	One		1
1000^−¹⁄₃	10⁻¹	deci	d	1795	Tenth		0.1
1000^−²⁄₃	10⁻²	centi	c	1795	Hundredth		0.01
1000⁻¹	10⁻³	milli	m	1795	Thousandth		0.001
1000⁻²	10⁻⁶	micro	µ	1960^[2]	Millionth		0.000001
1000⁻³	10⁻⁹	nano	n	1960	Billionth	Milliardth	0.000000001
1000⁻⁴	10⁻¹²	pico	p	1960	Trillionth	Billionth	0.000000000001
1000⁻⁵	10⁻¹⁵	femto	f	1964	Quadrillionth	Billiardth	0.000000000000001
1000⁻⁶	10⁻¹⁸	atto	a	1964	Quintillionth	Trillionth	0.000000000000000001
1000⁻⁷	10⁻²¹	zepto	z	1991	Sextillionth	Trilliardth	0.000000000000000000001
1000⁻⁸	10⁻²⁴	yocto	y	1991	Septillionth	Quadrillionth	0.000000000000000000000001
The metric system was introduced in 1795 with six prefixes. The other dates relate to recognition by a resolution of the CGPM. The 1948 recognition of the micron by the CGPM was abrogated in 1967.