km/h to m/s Converter
Convert velocity from kilometers per hour to meters per second. Essential for physics students, kinematics analysis, and automotive engineering.
About
In physics and engineering, the standard SI unit for velocity is meters per second. However, real-world vehicles and traffic laws operate in kilometers per hour. This discrepancy requires frequent conversion when applying theoretical physics formulas to real-life accident reconstruction or automotive testing scenarios. A misunderstanding of this factor - 3.6 - can lead to gross miscalculations in braking distance or impact force analysis.
This utility provides a rigorous conversion environment. It breaks down the mathematical relationship between the units, aiding students in understanding the derivation while providing engineers with a reliable calculator for high-speed data. The tool handles input ranges from stationary to hypersonic velocities.
Formulas
To convert from km/h to m/s, we must convert kilometers to meters (multiply by 1000) and hours to seconds (divide by 3600). This simplifies to dividing the original value by 3.6.
Reference Data
| Speed km/h | Speed m/s | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.278 | Slow drift |
| 3.6 | 1.0 | Easy calculation reference |
| 5 | 1.389 | Average walking speed |
| 50 | 13.889 | Urban speed limit |
| 100 | 27.778 | Highway driving |
| 120 | 33.333 | Expressway limit |
| 340 | 94.444 | Top speed of Formula 1 car |
| 1,235 | 343.0 | Speed of Sound (Mach 1) |