Micrometers (µm)
The micrometer (also micrometre, and commonly called the micron) is a metric unit of length equal to one millionth of a meter, or one thousandth of a millimeter.
Convert micrometers to any length unit
1 micrometer = 0.000039370079 inches
Quick facts
- Unit
- Micrometer (plural: micrometers)
- Symbol
- µm
- Measures
- Length / Distance
- System
- Metric (SI)
- Equals
- 0.000001 meters
- Definition
- One millionth of a meter (10⁻⁶ m).
- Also written
- micrometre, micron
1 micrometer in other units
| Inches | 0.000039370079 in |
| Meters | 0.000001 m |
| Centimeters | 0.0001 cm |
| Feet | 0.00000328084 ft |
| Kilometers | 1 × 10-9 km |
| Miles | 6.2137119 × 10-10 mi |
| Millimeters | 0.001 mm |
| Yards | 0.000001093613 yd |
What is a micrometer?
The micrometer (also micrometre, and commonly called the micron) is a metric unit of length equal to one millionth of a meter, or one thousandth of a millimeter. Its symbol is µm.
Micrometers are the natural scale of cells, bacteria, dust, and fine manufacturing tolerances. A human hair is about 50 to 100 µm thick.
Where the micrometer sits among length units
The micrometer is number 13 of 231 on our scale of length units, ordered from smallest to largest.
What micrometers are used for
- Biology: sizes of cells and bacteria
- Air quality: PM2.5 and PM10 particles are under 2.5 and 10 µm
- Precision machining tolerances and surface roughness
- Infrared wavelengths (thermal cameras see 8–14 µm)
- Semiconductor features, historically measured in microns
Micrometers in real life
- A red blood cell is about 7.5 µm across
- Printer paper is about 100 µm thick
- A typical bacterium is 1–2 µm long
- Household plastic wrap is about 10–12 µm thick
One micrometer is about 10 flu viruses laid end to end, or about 50% of the length of an E. coli bacterium, or about 13% of the length of a red blood cell, or about 500 DNA helix widths laid end to end.
Top micrometer conversions
- Micrometers to inches
- Micrometers to meters
- Micrometers to centimeters
- Micrometers to feet
- Micrometers to kilometers
- Micrometers to miles
- Micrometers to millimeters
- Micrometers to yards
- Micrometers to nanometers
- Micrometers to nautical miles
- Micrometers to light-years
- Micrometers to astronomical units
Common amounts of micrometers
- 0.25 µm
- 0.5 µm
- 0.75 µm
- 1 µm
- 1.5 µm
- 2 µm
- 2.5 µm
- 3 µm
- 4 µm
- 5 µm
- 6 µm
- 7 µm
- 8 µm
- 9 µm
- 10 µm
- 11 µm
- 12 µm
- 13 µm
- 14 µm
- 15 µm
- 16 µm
- 17 µm
- 18 µm
- 19 µm
- 20 µm
- 21 µm
- 22 µm
- 23 µm
- 24 µm
- 25 µm
- 26 µm
- 27 µm
- 28 µm
- 29 µm
- 30 µm
- 31 µm
- 32 µm
- 33 µm
- 34 µm
- 35 µm
- 36 µm
- 37 µm
- 38 µm
- 39 µm
- 40 µm
- 41 µm
- 42 µm
- 43 µm
- 44 µm
- 45 µm
- 46 µm
- 47 µm
- 48 µm
- 49 µm
- 50 µm
- 60 µm
- 70 µm
- 80 µm
- 90 µm
- 100 µm
- 150 µm
- 200 µm
- 250 µm
- 300 µm
- 400 µm
- 500 µm
- 750 µm
- 1,000 µm
Convert micrometers to all 230 other units
Metric (SI)
Imperial & US customary
- µm to in
- µm to ft
- µm to mi
- µm to yd
- µm to ftm
- µm to fur
- µm to hh
- µm to th
- µm to ch
- µm to lea
- µm to rd
- µm to cubit
- µm to barleycorn
- µm to li
- µm to span
- µm to line
- µm to ell
- µm to palm
- µm to Ramsden's chain
- µm to finger
- µm to nail
- µm to shaftment
US survey
Nautical
Astronomical
- µm to ly
- µm to au
- µm to pc
- µm to kpc
- µm to Mpc
- µm to R⊕
- µm to ls
- µm to light-minute
- µm to LD
- µm to R☉
- µm to Gpc
- µm to light-day
- µm to light-hour
- µm to RJ
- µm to light-week
- µm to Hubble length
- µm to siriometer
Scientific & atomic
Ancient
- µm to Roman mile
- µm to royal cubit
- µm to stadion
- µm to Biblical cubit
- µm to Roman foot
- µm to Greek foot
- µm to Roman pace
- µm to parasang
- µm to Egyptian common cubit
- µm to Egyptian digit
- µm to Egyptian palm
- µm to Gallic league
- µm to Greek cubit
- µm to Greek finger
- µm to Roman cubit
- µm to Roman digit
- µm to Roman inch
- µm to Roman palm
- µm to Roman stadium
- µm to Roman step
- µm to handbreadth
- µm to Biblical finger
- µm to Biblical parasang
- µm to Biblical span
- µm to Greek palm
- µm to Greek span
- µm to Sabbath day's journey
- µm to Talmudic mil
- µm to bema
- µm to beru
- µm to day's journey
- µm to diaulos
- µm to dichas
- µm to hippikon
- µm to iteru
- µm to khet
- µm to kondylos
- µm to kush
- µm to nindan
- µm to orgyia
- µm to plethron
- µm to pygme
- µm to reed
- µm to remen
- µm to shu-si
- µm to ush
East & Southeast Asian
- µm to 里
- µm to 尺
- µm to 寸
- µm to 尺
- µm to 里
- µm to 間
- µm to 寸
- µm to wa
- µm to 리
- µm to 丈
- µm to 步
- µm to 分
- µm to 厘
- µm to 分
- µm to 치
- µm to 町
- µm to 자
- µm to 丈
- µm to khuep
- µm to kujirajaku
- µm to nio
- µm to sen
- µm to sok
- µm to 引
- µm to yot
- µm to 厘
- µm to 푼
- µm to 毫
- µm to 忽
- µm to kraphiat
- µm to 毛
- µm to 丝
South Asian & Middle Eastern
- µm to gaj
- µm to kos
- µm to yojana
- µm to angul
- µm to farsakh
- µm to hasta
- µm to arsin
- µm to barid
- µm to danda
- µm to dhira
- µm to qasaba
European (pre-metric)
- µm to Swedish mil
- µm to versta
- µm to arshin
- µm to lieue
- µm to ligne
- µm to pied du roi
- µm to sazhen
- µm to toise
- µm to Irish mile
- µm to Prussian mile
- µm to Russian mile
- µm to Scottish mile
- µm to pouce
- µm to vershok
- µm to Danish mile
- µm to French point
- µm to Prussian ell
- µm to Prussian foot
- µm to Prussian inch
- µm to Prussian rod
- µm to Rhineland rod
- µm to Russian foot
- µm to Swiss hour
- µm to aln
- µm to aune
- µm to duim
- µm to dyuym
- µm to famn
- µm to liniya
- µm to pyad
- µm to Welsh mile
- µm to fjardingsvag
- µm to tochka
Spanish & Portuguese
- µm to Castilian vara
- µm to Spanish league
- µm to Texas vara
- µm to pulgada
- µm to Castilian foot
- µm to Mexican vara
- µm to braca
- µm to legua
- µm to Portuguese foot
- µm to Portuguese vara
- µm to palmo
- µm to polegada
- µm to Spanish pace
- µm to linea
- µm to linha
- µm to punto
Everyday comparisons
- µm to American football field
- µm to marathon
- µm to smoot
- µm to Earth circumference
- µm to Eiffel Tower height
- µm to Olympic pool length
- µm to banana
- µm to double-decker bus
- µm to soccer pitch length
- µm to Mount Everest height
- µm to blue whale length
- µm to credit card length
- µm to human hair width
- µm to Burj Khalifa height
- µm to Earth diameter
- µm to Empire State Building height
- µm to Statue of Liberty height
- µm to human height
- µm to giraffe height
- µm to grain of rice
- µm to paperclip length
- µm to pencil length
- µm to sheppey
- µm to smartphone length
Convert to micrometers
- Inches to micrometers
- Meters to micrometers
- Centimeters to micrometers
- Feet to micrometers
- Kilometers to micrometers
- Miles to micrometers
- Millimeters to micrometers
- Yards to micrometers
- Nanometers to micrometers
- Nautical miles to micrometers
- Light-years to micrometers
- Astronomical units to micrometers
Frequently asked questions
What is a micrometer?
The micrometer (also micrometre, and commonly called the micron) is a metric unit of length equal to one millionth of a meter, or one thousandth of a millimeter.
How is the micrometer defined?
One millionth of a meter (10⁻⁶ m).
How many inches are in a micrometer?
One micrometer equals 0.000039370079 inches.
How many meters are in a micrometer?
One micrometer equals 0.000001 meters.
How many centimeters are in a micrometer?
One micrometer equals 0.0001 centimeters.