About the Meters per Second Converter
This meters per second converter takes a speed in m/s — the SI unit used in physics, engineering and weather data — and shows it in kilometers per hour, miles per hour, knots and feet per second. A second field works the other way: enter a speed in km/h, mph, knots or ft/s and get meters per second.
It is useful for students solving kinematics problems, for reading wind speeds from weather models (often in m/s) as km/h or mph, for sports analysis such as sprint speeds, and for engineers converting fluid and conveyor velocities. The comparison table puts your number next to walking, cycling, highway and hurricane speeds.
The main factor is exact: 1 m/s = 3.6 km/h because there are 1,000 m in a km and 3,600 s in an hour. Miles and knots are also exactly defined, so all results are precise. The Mach figure uses 343 m/s, the speed of sound in dry air at 20 °C.
With the default inputs, the kilometers per hour is 36 km/h. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the meters per second converter
- 1Enter a speed in meters per second.
- 2Read the equivalent in km/h, mph, knots, ft/s and Mach.
- 3To convert into m/s, type a speed in the second field and choose its unit.
- 4Compare against everyday speeds in the table.
Formula and method
One meter per second means 3,600 meters in an hour, which is 3.6 kilometers, so multiply m/s by 3.6 for km/h and divide km/h by 3.6 for m/s. A mile is exactly 1,609.344 m, so 1 mph = 1,609.344 ÷ 3,600 = 0.44704 m/s. A knot is one nautical mile (1,852 m) per hour, or 0.51444 m/s, and a foot is 0.3048 m.
The Mach number divides your speed by the speed of sound, taken here as 343 m/s for dry air at 20 °C; the true value falls in colder air, so Mach is an approximation.
- m/s
- Meters per second (SI unit of speed)
- km/h
- Kilometers per hour
- kn
- Knots, nautical miles per hour
Worked examples
Wind speed of 10 m/s
10 × 3.6 = 36 km/h, and 10 ÷ 0.44704 = 22.37 mph — a fresh breeze. Going the other way, 100 km/h ÷ 3.6 = 27.78 m/s.
Speed of sound: 343 m/s
343 × 3.6 = 1,234.8 km/h, or 767 mph — Mach 1 at 20 °C. A car at 60 mph travels 60 × 0.44704 = 26.82 m/s.
Boat at 20 knots
20 knots × 0.51444 = 10.29 m/s. For comparison, 1 m/s is 3.6 km/h or 2.24 mph — a slow walking pace.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert m/s to km/h?+
Multiply meters per second by 3.6. For example, 25 m/s × 3.6 = 90 km/h. To convert km/h to m/s, divide by 3.6.
How do I convert m/s to mph?+
Divide by 0.44704, or multiply by about 2.2369. So 20 m/s is 20 × 2.2369 = 44.7 mph.
Why is the factor 3.6?+
An hour has 3,600 seconds and a kilometer has 1,000 meters. 1 m/s × 3,600 s = 3,600 m per hour = 3.6 km per hour.
How fast is 1 m/s?+
One meter per second is 3.6 km/h or about 2.24 mph — a relaxed walking pace. Brisk walking is around 1.5–1.8 m/s.
Why do weather forecasts use m/s for wind?+
Meters per second is the SI unit, so meteorological models and many European forecasts report wind in m/s. Multiply by 3.6 for km/h or 2.237 for mph.