How to convert kilometers per hour to meters per second
- Take the value in kilometers per hour.
- Use the formula meters per second = kilometers per hour ÷ 3.6.
- For example, 5 km/h is 1.39 m/s.
About kilometers per hour and meters per second
Divide km/h by 3.6 to get meters per second, because 1 km/h is 1,000 m in 3,600 s. Some values come out neatly: 36 km/h is 10 m/s, 72 km/h is 20 m/s and 108 km/h is 30 m/s.
Physics and engineering formulas such as kinetic energy, braking distance and wind load expect speed in m/s, so a speed given in km/h has to be converted before you plug it in.
Examples
- 5 km/h (a brisk walking pace) is 1.39 m/s
- 50 km/h (a common city speed limit) is 13.89 m/s
- 130 km/h (the motorway speed limit in France) is 36.11 m/s
- 300 km/h (a typical high-speed train cruising speed) is 83.33 m/s
Kilometers per hour to meters per second chart
| Kilometers per hour (km/h) | Meters per second (m/s) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.278 |
| 5 | 1.39 |
| 10 | 2.78 |
| 15 | 4.17 |
| 20 | 5.56 |
| 25 | 6.94 |
| 30 | 8.33 |
| 36 | 10 |
| 40 | 11.11 |
| 50 | 13.89 |
| 60 | 16.67 |
| 70 | 19.44 |
| 72 | 20 |
| Kilometers per hour (km/h) | Meters per second (m/s) |
|---|---|
| 80 | 22.22 |
| 90 | 25 |
| 100 | 27.78 |
| 108 | 30 |
| 110 | 30.56 |
| 120 | 33.33 |
| 130 | 36.11 |
| 150 | 41.67 |
| 200 | 55.56 |
| 250 | 69.44 |
| 300 | 83.33 |
| 1,000 | 277.78 |