A picometre is a unit of spatial measurement equal to one trillionth of a metre. It operates at the sub-atomic and atomic scale. Crystallographers and quantum physicists use picometres to measure atomic radii, chemical bond lengths, and the precise spacing of atoms in a crystal lattice.
Heard on the job
The carbon-carbon bond length in this molecule is precisely 154 picometres.
Do not mix it up with
- Angstrom: An angstrom is exactly 100 picometres, and both are used for atomic measurements.