ft-us to nm | Convert US Survey Foot to Nanometer

US Survey Foot to Nanometer Conversion Formula Example What is a US Survey Foot (ft-us)?Where Did the US Survey Foot Come From?Why Was the US Survey Foot Replaced?Why Did This Small Difference Cause Big Problems?What is a Nanometer (nm)?How Small Is a Nanometer?What Are Nanometers Used For?Where Does the Word "Nanometer" Come From?What is the imperial system?What is the metric system?US Survey Foot to Nanometer Conversion Table

US Survey Foot to Nanometer Conversion Formula

To convert from US Survey Foot (ft-us) to Nanometer (nm), use the following formula:

$\textbf{ Nanometer} \text{ (nm)}$

$= 1.000002 \times \frac{1}{3.28084} \times 10^{9}\times \textbf{ US Survey Foot} \text{ (ft-us)}$

$= 304800599.84638080492\times \textbf{ US Survey Foot} \text{ (ft-us)}$

With $\frac{1}{3.28084}$ is the ratio between the base units Meter (m) and Foot (ft).

Example

Let's convert 5 US Survey Foot (ft-us) to Nanometer (nm).

Using the formula:

$5 \times 304800599.84638080492 = 1524002999.2319040246$

Therefore, 5 US Survey Foot (ft-us) is equal to $1524002999.2319040246$ Nanometer (nm).

What is a US Survey Foot (ft-us)?

The US Survey Foot is a unit of length historically used for land surveying in the United States.

It is very close in length to the international foot, equaling approximately 1.000002 international feet (ft). The plural form is US Survey Feet.

Where Did the US Survey Foot Come From?

The origin of the US Survey Foot dates back to the Mendenhall Order of 1893. This order defined the relationship between the meter and US customary units.

It established that 1 meter is precisely equal to 39.37 inches. From this relationship, the US Survey Foot was derived, defined as 1200/3937 meters.

This definition differs slightly from the international foot, which was established in 1959 and is defined as exactly 0.3048 meters.

Why Was the US Survey Foot Replaced?

To simplify measurements and prevent confusion, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) made a critical change.

They officially retired the U.S. Survey Foot on December 31, 2022.

Surveying and mapping applications in the United States will now use the international foot. This critical change helps unify the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) and prevents costly errors in large-scale projects.

Why Did This Small Difference Cause Big Problems?

While the difference between a US Survey Foot and an international foot is minuscule—only about two parts per million—it becomes significant over large distances.

For every mile, the discrepancy adds up to approximately 1/8 inch.

This minor error may not be significant for a backyard fence. However, for massive construction projects and infrastructure development, such as bridges that cross state lines, the accumulated error can lead to severe misalignments and costly mistakes.

What is a Nanometer (nm)?

A nanometer (nm) is a tiny unit of measurement in the metric system.

To give you an idea of its scale, one nanometer is equal to one-billionth of a meter (10⁻⁹ m). The plural form is nanometers.

How Small Is a Nanometer?

A nanometer is so small that it's challenging to visualize. To put it in perspective:

A single strand of human hair is enormous in comparison, measuring approximately 80,000 to 100,000 nanometers in diameter.

Similarly, a standard sheet of paper is about 100,000 nanometers thick.

This comparison highlights the incredible nanometer scale at which modern science operates.

What Are Nanometers Used For?

The nanometer is central to nanotechnology, which works with matter at the atomic and molecular scale.

Modern electronics are a good example: transistors on computer chips are measured in nanometers.

A smaller process node (for example, a 5 nm chip) enables manufacturers to pack more transistors into the same area, resulting in faster and more energy-efficient devices, such as smartphones and laptops.

Where Does the Word "Nanometer" Come From?

The prefix "nano" originates from the ancient Greek word "νάνος" (nános), which means "dwarf."

This origin perfectly captures the essence of the nanometer's tiny size. It's a fitting name for a unit used to measure things far too small for the human eye to see.

What is the imperial system?

The imperial system is a system of measurement that was first defined in the British Weights and Measures Act of 1824. It's known for using units like inches, feet, pounds, and gallons. While most of the world now uses the metric system, the imperial system remains the official system of measurement in the United States and is still used in specific contexts in other countries, such as the United Kingdom and Canada.

What is the metric system?

The metric system is a decimal-based system of measurement used by nearly every country in the world. Its key feature is the use of prefixes to denote multiples and submultiples of the base units by powers of ten.

US Survey Foot to Nanometer Conversion Table

Here are some quick reference conversions from US Survey Foot (ft-us) to Nanometer (nm):

US Survey Feet	Nanometers
0.000001 ft-us	$304.80059984638080492$ nm
0.001 ft-us	$304800.59984638080492$ nm
0.1 ft-us	$30480059.984638080492$ nm
1 ft-us	$304800599.84638080492$ nm
2 ft-us	$609601199.69276160984$ nm
3 ft-us	$914401799.53914241476$ nm
4 ft-us	$1219202399.3855232197$ nm
5 ft-us	$1524002999.2319040246$ nm
6 ft-us	$1828803599.0782848295$ nm
7 ft-us	$2133604198.9246656344$ nm
8 ft-us	$2438404798.7710464394$ nm
9 ft-us	$2743205398.6174272443$ nm
10 ft-us	$3048005998.4638080492$ nm
20 ft-us	$6096011996.9276160984$ nm
30 ft-us	$9144017995.3914241476$ nm
40 ft-us	$12192023993.855232197$ nm
50 ft-us	$15240029992.319040246$ nm
100 ft-us	$30480059984.638080492$ nm
1000 ft-us	$304800599846.38080492$ nm
10000 ft-us	$3048005998463.8080492$ nm

Convert Length from Us Survey Foot to Nanometer (ft-us to nm)

On This Page