Convert any speed unit in one place
Speed is distance over time, and the world uses many units for it: scientists use metres per second, drivers use km/h or mph, sailors and pilots use knots, and aerospace uses Mach number. This reference converts between all of them from a single input, plus shows the value as a fraction of the speed of light.
How it works
Every unit has an exact factor to the SI base, metres per second. Your input is converted to m/s first, then out to each target:
1 km/h = 0.277778 m/s (1000 / 3600)
1 mph = 0.44704 m/s (1609.344 / 3600)
1 knot = 0.514444 m/s (1852 / 3600)
1 ft/s = 0.3048 m/s (exact foot definition)
Mach 1 = 340.29 m/s (dry air, 15 C, sea level ISA)
c = 299792458 m/s (speed of light, exact)
Converting through a single base avoids the error that builds up when you chain unit-to-unit factors one after another.
Tips and notes
- Mach number depends on air temperature; the 340.29 m/s figure is sea-level standard only.
- A handy mental check: 1 m/s is about 3.6 km/h and roughly 2.24 mph.
- Knots and km/h are close: 1 knot is about 1.15 mph or 1.85 km/h.
- The light-speed fraction is tiny for everyday speeds but useful for physics context.