The picometre is a unit of length and is a multiple of the SI unit metre. It uses the symbol pm.
It represents one trillionth of a metre, or one hundredth of an Ångström.
Because the picometre is so small, its use is restricted almost entirely to chemistry, quantum physics and particle physics. Atoms are typically 62 pm and 520 pm.
LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) is a probe planned for launch in 2034 to detect gravitational waves in space. Its measures these displacements with an accuracy of up to 20 pm over a distance of 2,500,000,000 m.
The micrometre (American spelling micrometer) is a unit of length and is a multiple of the SI unit metre. It uses the symbol μm.
It represents one millionth of a metre and is also known by its previously depreciated name micron.
In the US, the term 'micron' helped distinguish the unit name from the device 'micrometer' but the International System of Units (SI) discontinued this term in favour of micrometre as the prefix system required the use of the Greek symbol 'μ' which invoked the factor x10−6.