Nanonewtons to Dynes: 1 nN equals 0.0001 dyn. To convert nanonewtons to dynes, multiply by 0.0001 (dyn = nN × 1.0000e-4). For example, 10 nN = 0.001 dyn.
How to Convert Nanonewtons to Dynes
To convert from nanonewtons to dynes, multiply the value by 0.0001. The conversion is linear, meaning doubling the input doubles the output.
Conversion Formula
- Nanonewtons to Dynes:
dyn = nN × 1.0000e-4 - Dynes to Nanonewtons:
nN = dyn ÷ 1.0000e-4
Nanonewtons to Dynes Conversion Chart
| Nanonewtons (nN) | Dynes (dyn) |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 1.00000e-5 |
| 0.25 | 2.50000e-5 |
| 0.5 | 5.00000e-5 |
| 1 | 0.0001 |
| 2 | 0.0002 |
| 3 | 0.0003 |
| 5 | 0.0005 |
| 10 | 0.001 |
| 20 | 0.002 |
| 25 | 0.0025 |
| 50 | 0.005 |
| 100 | 0.01 |
| 250 | 0.025 |
| 1000 | 0.1 |
Understanding the Units
What is a Nanonewton?
A millinewton equals one thousandth of a newton.
Common contexts: precision instruments, biomechanics.
What is a Dyne?
A dyne equals exactly 10⁻⁵ newtons — the CGS unit of force, defined as the force needed to accelerate one gram by one centimeter per second squared.
Common contexts: surface tension, older physics texts.
How to Convert Nanonewtons to Dynes
To convert nanonewtons to dynes, multiply by 0.0001 (or equivalently 10⁻⁴). Both units measure force, but the nanonewton is an SI prefixed form of the newton while the dyne is the CGS unit. Because 1 N = 10⁵ dyn and 1 nN = 10⁻⁹ N, the conversion factor is the exact ratio 10⁻⁴ — no rounding or empirical constants are involved.
Conversion Formula
- Nanonewtons to Dynes: dyn = nN × 10⁻⁴
- Dynes to Nanonewtons: nN = dyn × 10⁴
- Scientific notation: 1 nN = 1 × 10⁻⁴ dyn = 1 × 10⁻⁹ N
The relationship is exact because both the newton and the dyne are coherent units built from base SI quantities (mass, length, time). They differ only in the choice of base scale — kilogram-metre-second versus gram-centimetre-second.
Common Conversions
| Nanonewtons (nN) | Dynes (dyn) | Scientific Notation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.0001 | 1 × 10⁻⁴ dyn |
| 3.7 | 0.00037 | 3.7 × 10⁻⁴ dyn |
| 10 | 0.001 | 1 × 10⁻³ dyn |
| 25 | 0.0025 | 2.5 × 10⁻³ dyn |
| 50 | 0.005 | 5 × 10⁻³ dyn |
| 100 | 0.01 | 1 × 10⁻² dyn |
| 250 | 0.025 | 2.5 × 10⁻² dyn |
| 500 | 0.05 | 5 × 10⁻² dyn |
| 1,000 | 0.1 | 1 × 10⁻¹ dyn |
| 2,500 | 0.25 | 2.5 × 10⁻¹ dyn |
| 5,000 | 0.5 | 5 × 10⁻¹ dyn |
| 10,000 | 1 | 1 dyn |
| 50,000 | 5 | 5 dyn |
| 100,000 | 10 | 10 dyn |
Understanding the Units
What Is a Nanonewton?
The nanonewton (symbol: nN) is the SI newton multiplied by the prefix nano, meaning 10⁻⁹. One nanonewton is therefore one-billionth of a newton, or 1 × 10⁻⁹ kg·m/s². It is the natural force unit for atomic-force microscopy (AFM), nano-tribology, and single-molecule biophysics, where typical interactions range from a few piconewtons up to hundreds of nanonewtons.
What Is a Dyne?
The dyne (symbol: dyn) is the unit of force in the CGS system. It is defined as the force required to accelerate one gram by one centimetre per second squared: 1 dyn = 1 g·cm/s² = 10⁻⁵ N. The unit was introduced in 1873 by the British Association for the Advancement of Science as part of the CGS system. Although superseded by the newton in modern SI, the dyne remains common in astrophysics, plasma physics, and surface science (where surface tension is often quoted in dyn/cm).
From CGS to SI: The Newton Replaces the Dyne
The CGS and SI systems share a dimensional structure; only the base units differ. Because mass scales by 1,000 (g vs kg) and length by 100 (cm vs m), force scales by 100,000 — hence 1 N = 10⁵ dyn. The nanonewton-to-dyne factor of 10⁻⁴ is simply 10⁻⁹ ÷ 10⁻⁵.
Nanonewton Forces in Atomic-Force Microscopy and Nano-Tribology
The nanonewton is the workhorse unit for atomic-force microscopy. A typical AFM cantilever has a spring constant of 0.01 to 100 N/m and is deflected by a few nanometres during a measurement, producing tip-sample forces of roughly 0.1 to 100 nN. Imaging soft biological samples — cells, proteins, lipid bilayers — typically uses contact forces below 1 nN to avoid sample damage, while hard-material imaging may apply tens of nN.
In nano-tribology, friction forces between an AFM tip and a surface fall in the same regime. Measurements of single-asperity friction on graphene, diamond, and self-assembled monolayers routinely report lateral forces of 1 to 50 nN. Single molecules of DNA can be stretched until they overstretch at about 65 pN (0.065 nN); titin and other large proteins unfold under forces of 100–300 pN. Optical tweezers and magnetic tweezers cover the same piconewton-to-nanonewton range with different experimental geometries.
Related Force Converters
- Nanonewtons to Newtons — climb up to the SI base unit
- Nanonewtons to Micronewtons — step up by 10³
- Nanonewtons to Millinewtons — step up by 10⁶
- Dynes to Newtons — the CGS-to-SI conversion
- Newtons to Dynes — the reverse SI-to-CGS direction
Brief History of the Dyne and the Nanonewton
The dyne was defined in 1873 as part of the CGS system formalised by William Thomson (Lord Kelvin) and James Clerk Maxwell, becoming the dominant unit of force in physics for the next 75 years. The SI newton replaced it in 1948 when the 9th General Conference on Weights and Measures adopted the MKS-based system. The prefix nano, from the Greek nanos meaning "dwarf," was standardised in 1960 alongside the rest of the SI prefix ladder, giving researchers a clean way to discuss the very small forces that AFM and single-molecule biophysics began probing in the 1980s.