angstrom

A unit of wavelength, 10⁻¹⁰ m, roughly the diameter of an atom; equivalent to 0.1 nm. [AJ Ångström]

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ang·strom 'aŋ-strəmalso 'ȯŋ- n a unit of length equal to one ten-billionth of a meter

Ångström Anders Jonas (1814-1874)

Swedish astronomer and physicist. One of the early formulators of the science of modern spectroscopy, Ångström wrote extensively on terrestrial magnetism, the conduction of heat, and especially spectroscopy. He published a monumental map of the normal solar spectrum that expressed the length of light waves in units of one ten-millionth of a millimeter, a unit of length now known as the angstrom. He discovered that hydrogen is present in the sun's atmosphere, and he was the first to examine the spectrum of the aurora borealis.

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n.

a unit of length equal to one ten millionth of a millimetre (10^-10 m). It is not a recommended SI units but is sometimes used to express wavelengths and interatomic distances: the nanometre (1 nm = 10 Å) is now the preferred unit. Symbol: Å.

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ang·strom (Е) (angґstrəm) a unit of length used for atomic dimensions and light wavelengths; it is defined in terms of the wavelength of the red line of cadmium but is nominally equivalent to 10⁻¹⁰ meter. Called also Angstrцm unit.