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Kilometres per hour to metres per second

Multiply kilometres per hour by 0.277778 to get metres per second.

1 km/h = 0.277778 m/sNIST HB 44
km/h
13.8889m/s

50 km/h = 13.8889 m/s

How to convert kilometres per hour to metres per second

The metre per second is the SI unit of speed, one metre travelled per second. The kilometre per hour is kilometres travelled per hour, the metric speed unit for vehicles.

Worked example — 50 km/h: 50 × 0.277778 = 13.8889 m/s.

Kilometres per hour to metres per second table

Common conversions. The reverse table is on metres per second to kilometres per hour.
Kilometres per hourMetres per second
1 km/h0.277778 m/s
5 km/h1.3889 m/s
10 km/h2.7778 m/s
36 km/h10 m/s
50 km/h13.8889 m/s
60 km/h16.6667 m/s
90 km/h25 m/s
100 km/h27.7778 m/s
120 km/h33.3333 m/s

Reverse and related

About kilometres per hour and metres per second

Kilometre per hour (km/h)

1 km/h = 0.277778 m/s

Definition. Kilometres travelled per hour, the metric speed unit for vehicles

History and origin

The kilometre per hour combines the metric kilometre with the hour, and became the standard speed unit as countries adopted the metric system and built road networks. It equals exactly one thousand metres per hour.

Current use

Kilometres per hour is the speed unit on car speedometers and road signs across most of the world.

Source: NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C (Tables of Equivalents — international nautical mile); speeds derived from the exact mile, foot and hour

Metre per second (m/s)

1 m/s = 3.6 km/h

Definition. The SI unit of speed, one metre travelled per second

History and origin

The metre per second is the coherent SI unit of speed, built directly from the base units of length and time. It is the natural choice wherever physics equations are involved.

Current use

Metres per second are used in science and engineering, and to report wind speed in meteorology.

Source: NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C (Tables of Equivalents — international nautical mile); speeds derived from the exact mile, foot and hour

Where people use this

Kilometres per hour: vehicle speed outside the US, speed limits. Metres per second: physics, wind speed. 36 km/h is exactly 10 m/s.

How we know this is right
The factor is fixed by the standards that define the units, not chosen — so it is exact, not a measurement:
1 m/s = 3.6 km/h, so 1 km/h = 1 ÷ 3.6 = 0.277778 m/s.

Every value is carried to full double precision; the display is rounded.

Both units are defined in NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C (Tables of Equivalents — international nautical mile); speeds derived from the exact mile, foot and hour.

Questions people ask

How many m/s is 36 km/h?

36 km/h is exactly 10 m/s.

How do I convert km/h to m/s?

Divide by 3.6; 90 km/h is 25 m/s.

How many m/s is 100 km/h?

100 km/h is about 27.8 m/s.

All kilometre per hour conversions