What Is Picosecond?
A picosecond is a very small unit used to measure time. It is equal to one trillionth of a second. Scientists use it to study events that happen extremely fast, like laser flashes and moves inside computer chips.
Definition
One picosecond is equal to 0.000000000001 seconds. In scientific writing this is written as 10-12 seconds.
If one second was cut into one trillion equal pieces, one of those tiny pieces would be one picosecond.
In one picosecond, light in empty space travels about 0.3 millimeters, which is about the thickness of three pieces of paper stacked together.
History / Origin
The word picosecond comes from two parts. The first part pico comes from the Italian word piccolo, which means small. In science pico is used to mean one trillionth of something, or 10-12. The second part second is the basic unit of time in the International System of Units, called SI.
Scientists started using the word picosecond when tools became good enough to measure such tiny amounts of time. This happened in the 20th century, when very fast lasers and electronic devices were invented.
Symbol & Abbreviation
The standard symbol for picosecond is ps.
- Full name: picosecond
- Short symbol: ps
- Base unit: 1 ps = 10-12 s
The symbol ps is written after the number, with no dot. For example, 5 picoseconds is written as 5 ps.
Current Use Around the World
Picoseconds are not used in daily life, because they are far too small for normal activities like cooking or sports. Instead, they are used in special science and technology fields where things happen very quickly.
Some common uses around the world include:
- Laser science: To measure and control the length of extremely short laser pulses.
- Electronics: To describe how fast signals move in very fast computer chips and communication systems.
- Chemistry and biology: To watch how molecules move and reactions start, using very fast cameras and laser systems.
- Physics: To study tiny particles and ultrafast events inside matter.
Researchers and engineers in many countries use picoseconds as a standard time unit when they work with ultrafast processes.
Example Conversions
Here are some simple conversions to help you understand the size of a picosecond.
- From seconds to picoseconds:
- 1 second = 1,000,000,000,000 picoseconds (1 trillion picoseconds)
- 0.000000000001 seconds = 1 picosecond
- Between picoseconds and nanoseconds:
- 1 nanosecond (ns) = 1,000 picoseconds (ps)
- 1 picosecond (ps) = 0.001 nanoseconds (ns)
- Between picoseconds and femtoseconds:
- 1 picosecond (ps) = 1,000 femtoseconds (fs)
- 1 femtosecond (fs) = 0.001 picoseconds (ps)
- Everyday comparison:
- If one second was stretched to about 31,700 years, then one picosecond would compare to about 1 second in that stretched time.
Related Units
Picosecond is part of a family of time units that are based on the second.
- Second (s): The main SI unit of time.
- Millisecond (ms): 1 ms = 0.001 s = 10-3 s.
- Microsecond (µs): 1 µs = 0.000001 s = 10-6 s.
- Nanosecond (ns): 1 ns = 0.000000001 s = 10-9 s.
- Picosecond (ps): 1 ps = 0.000000000001 s = 10-12 s.
- Femtosecond (fs): 1 fs = 0.000000000000001 s = 10-15 s.
- Attosecond (as): 1 as = 10-18 s, even smaller than a femtosecond.
As you move from seconds to attoseconds, each step makes the unit one thousand times smaller.
FAQs
What is a picosecond in simple words?
A picosecond is a very tiny slice of time. It is one trillionth of a second, so it is much shorter than anything you can feel or see in normal life.
Why do scientists use picoseconds?
Scientists use picoseconds to measure things that happen very fast, like laser flashes, light moving through materials, and changes inside atoms and molecules.
Is a picosecond smaller than a nanosecond?
Yes. A picosecond is 1,000 times smaller than a nanosecond. One nanosecond contains 1,000 picoseconds.
How fast is light in one picosecond?
In one picosecond, light travels about 0.3 millimeters in empty space, which is about the thickness of a few sheets of paper.
Do we use picoseconds in everyday life?
No. For daily activities seconds, minutes and hours are enough. Picoseconds are mainly used in advanced science, high speed electronics and research laboratories.
