a billionth of a second

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a billionth of a second" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts related to time measurement, particularly in scientific or technical discussions. Example: "The experiment was so precise that it could measure changes in temperature within a billionth of a second."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

One femtosecond is a millionth of a billionth of a second.

Stanford University

One femtosecond is one millionth of a billionth of a second.

Stanford University

(For comparison's sake, 1 × 10¯²⁴ centuries comes to three millionths of a billionth of a second).

The New Yorker

Light travels about 30 cm (12 inches) in a billionth of a second.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Can you spare a millionth of a billionth of a second?

Stanford University

These skyrmions form extremely quickly, in less than a billionth of a second, Beach says.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The interviewer, in having made the introduction, was for a billionth of a second their equal.

The Guardian - Film

A nanosecond — a billionth of a second — is to a second as one second is to 30 years, roughly.

The New York Times - Science

For paintings, he employs an ultra-violet laser that produces pulses of light a billionth of a second long.

The Economist

The timescale for such events is around femtoseconds, and one femtosecond is a millionth of a billionth of a second.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

1 human-written examples

Using these pulses like flashbulbs--each one lasts less than a millionth of a billionth of a second--the researchers have traced how electrons in a gas hop between energy levels.

Science Magazine

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing events at the atomic or subatomic level, use "a billionth of a second" or its equivalent, a nanosecond, to provide a clear and scientifically accurate timeframe.

Common error

Avoid using "a billionth of a second" interchangeably with microseconds or picoseconds. A microsecond is a millionth of a second, while a picosecond is a trillionth of a second. Precision is key when discussing time at this scale.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a billionth of a second" primarily functions as an adverbial modifier of time. It specifies the duration of an action or event, indicating it happened extremely quickly. Ludwig AI confirms its use in diverse contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

30%

News & Media

30%

Academia

25%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

10%

Formal & Business

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a billionth of a second" is a grammatically sound and very common way to describe an extremely short duration, equivalent to one nanosecond. As noted by Ludwig AI, it is frequently used in scientific, academic, and technical contexts to specify the timing of ultra-fast processes. When writing, it's crucial to differentiate this unit from other similar units like microseconds or picoseconds to maintain accuracy. Alternative phrases like "one nanosecond" can be used for brevity, especially in technical writing. Using this phrase correctly helps convey precision, particularly when describing events on an atomic scale.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

One nanosecond

Replaces the descriptive phrase with a specific unit of time measurement.

10^-9 seconds

Expresses the duration using scientific notation for precision.

A nanoscopic duration

Uses metaphorical adjective (nanoscopic) to describe an extremely short time period.

An extremely short time

Emphasizes the brevity of the duration without specifying the exact measurement.

An immeasurably short interval

Highlights the difficulty or impossibility of measuring such a brief duration.

A very brief moment

Uses more general terms to indicate a short duration, lacking the precision of the original phrase.

A fleeting instant

Describes a moment that passes quickly and is difficult to perceive.

Instantaneously

Conveys that something happens immediately, without any measurable delay.

In the blink of an eye

An idiomatic expression for a very short time, highlighting the speed of an event.

A split second

Indicates a very short amount of time, but less precise than the original phrase.

FAQs

How do I use "a billionth of a second" in a sentence?

You can use "a billionth of a second" to describe extremely rapid processes, such as "The reaction occurred in less than "a billionth of a second"." It's often used in scientific or technical contexts.

What's another way to express "a billionth of a second"?

A common alternative to "a billionth of a second" is "one nanosecond". Both terms refer to the same unit of time.

Is it correct to use "nanosecond" instead of "a billionth of a second"?

Yes, "nanosecond" is the standard unit of time that equals one billionth of a second. It's perfectly acceptable and often preferred in technical writing for brevity.

What is faster, a nanosecond or "a picosecond"?

A picosecond is faster. A nanosecond is a billionth of a second, while a picosecond is a trillionth of a second. Therefore, a picosecond is 1000 times faster than a nanosecond.