Convert Nautical League (Int) (nl (int)) to Nanometer (nm) instantly.
About these units
Nautical League (Int) (nl (int))
The international nautical league is defined as 3 international nautical miles, or 5,556 meters. It simplifies the expression of moderately large maritime distances by grouping nautical miles into a more manageable larger unit. Because nautical miles relate directly to Earth's geometry, the nautical league also maintains a connection to latitude and longitude. While not widely used in modern navigation—pilots and mariners typically stick to nautical miles and knots—nautical leagues still appear in older literature, historical accounts of sea voyages, and some naval traditions. They offer narrative convenience when describing long journeys without resorting to extremely large numbers. The unit highlights the tendency of sailors to create practical, scaled units that simplify communication during long-distance travel.
Nanometer (nm)
A nanometer—one billionth of a meter (10⁻⁹ m)—is central to nanoscience, nanotechnology, and molecular biology. Many structures essential to life fall into this scale: DNA's double helix is about 2 nm wide, viruses often measure tens to hundreds of nanometers, and key cell structures like ribosomes are on the order of 20–30 nm. In engineering, nanometers define the dimensions of modern semiconductor technology. Silicon transistors have shrunk to features only a few nanometers wide, approaching the physical limits of electron behavior in solid-state materials. In optics, wavelengths of ultraviolet light can be expressed in nanometers, as can surface roughness, material grain sizes, and thin-film coatings. The nanometer is ubiquitous across modern science because it describes both biological and technological structures at the frontier of research.