Convert Nautical Mile (UK) (NM (UK)) to Bohr Radius (a₀) instantly.
About these units
Nautical Mile (UK) (NM (UK))
The UK nautical mile was historically defined as 6,080 feet, slightly longer than the international nautical mile (1,852 meters). Before international standardization in 1929, British charts and maritime documents relied on this definition. It approximated one minute of latitude but used British feet rather than an exact metric conversion. Although the UK adopted the international nautical mile long ago, many older navigation charts, historical records, and maritime traditions still reference the UK version. Researchers dealing with archival naval documents must carefully distinguish between the two definitions to avoid errors in distance or speed calculations. The UK nautical mile is a reminder of the era before global standardization when each nation maintained its own measurement conventions—even for activities as universally critical as seafaring.
Bohr Radius (a₀)
The Bohr radius, equal to approximately 5.29177 × 10⁻¹¹ meters, is the most probable distance between the electron and nucleus in the ground state of hydrogen according to the Bohr model. While modern quantum mechanics has evolved far beyond the Bohr model, the radius remains a remarkably accurate approximation for average atomic dimensions. The Bohr radius acts as a natural "yardstick" for the size of atoms and is frequently used in atomic physics and quantum chemistry. Many atomic properties — orbital sizes, electron probability distributions, and energy levels — are conveniently expressed in multiples of the Bohr radius. Because it reflects fundamental constants, including Planck's constant and the electron charge, the Bohr radius also appears in theoretical analyses of physical systems and helps unify atomic physics concepts across different contexts.