Convert wavelength in micrometres to wavelength in nanometres [nm] Online | Free frequency-wavelength Converter

Understanding Infrared and Thermal Radiation

A micrometre (µm), also known as a micron, is equal to one millionth of a metre (1 µm = 10⁻⁶ m) and is commonly used to express wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, particularly in the infrared (IR) region of the spectrum. Wavelengths in this range are crucial for understanding heat, thermal imaging, remote sensing, and optical communications. The infrared spectrum typically spans from 0.75 µm to about 1000 µm, with specific regions divided into near-IR (0.75–1.4 µm), mid-IR (1.4–8 µm), and far-IR (8–1000 µm).

Many natural processes, including thermal emission from objects, occur in the micrometre wavelength range. For example, the human body emits peak thermal radiation at around 9–10 µm. Materials scientists, astronomers, and engineers use these wavelengths to study heat flow, detect gases, and design sensors. Optical fibers used in telecommunications also operate efficiently in the near-IR range around 1.3 to 1.55 µm. Using micrometres to describe wavelength offers a practical and precise way to work with electromagnetic waves that are too long for nanometres but still far shorter than those measured in millimetres.

Measuring Light and Electromagnetic Waves

A nanometre (nm) is a unit of length equal to one billionth of a metre (1 nm = 10⁻⁹ m) and is commonly used to express wavelengths of light and other electromagnetic waves. In this context, nanometres provide a convenient scale for describing phenomena that occur at the atomic and molecular level. Visible light, for example, spans wavelengths from about 380 nm (violet) to 750 nm (red). Ultraviolet (UV) light has shorter wavelengths, typically between 10 nm and 400 nm, while infrared (IR) light has longer wavelengths, from about 750 nm to 1,000,000 nm.

Wavelengths in nanometres are critical in fields like optics, photonics, spectroscopy, and nanotechnology. They determine the energy and color of light, how it interacts with matter, and how it can be manipulated in devices like lasers, fiber optics, and solar cells. Shorter wavelengths (in the UV or X-ray range) carry more energy and are used in applications such as medical imaging and semiconductor fabrication. Understanding and working with wavelengths in nanometres allows scientists and engineers to explore and control the behavior of light at extremely small scales—down to the size of atoms and molecules.