1. A unit of length equal to one trillionth of a meter (10⁻¹² m), used to measure atomic and subatomic distances.
Usage: Also spelled picometre in British English.; Commonly used in physics, chemistry, and materials science.; Abbreviation: pm

Examples

• The diameter of a hydrogen atom is approximately 100 picometers.
• Researchers measured the bond length in picometers using X-ray crystallography.
• A picometer is one trillionth of a meter, making it useful for studying molecular structures.
• The spacing between atoms in a crystal lattice is often expressed in picometers.
• Modern electron microscopes can resolve features separated by just a few picometers.