km/h to Metres per Second Converter
Convert kilometres per hour to metres per second — divide by 3.6. Results update as you type; exact factors shown.
One kilometre per hour is 0.2778 metres per second — see the exact factor, not a rounded rule of thumb.
How the km/h to metres per second converter works
Speeds convert through metres per second. 1 km/h is 1000/3600 m/s; 1 mph is 1609.344/3600 m/s; a knot is one nautical mile (1,852 m) per hour. Mach is shown against the standard sea-level speed of sound of 340.29 m/s and varies with altitude and temperature.
Australia is fully metric under the National Measurement Act 1960; imperial units appear only in trade with the US and in older documents.
Common speed conversions
| From | To | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 1 km/h | 0.2778 m/s | kilometre per hour to metres per second |
| 5 km/h | 1.3889 m/s | kilometres per hour to metres per second |
| 10 km/h | 2.7778 m/s | kilometres per hour to metres per second |
| 30 km/h | 8.3333 m/s | kilometres per hour to metres per second |
| 40 km/h | 11.1111 m/s | kilometres per hour to metres per second |
| 50 km/h | 13.8889 m/s | kilometres per hour to metres per second |
| 60 km/h | 16.6667 m/s | kilometres per hour to metres per second |
| 80 km/h | 22.2222 m/s | kilometres per hour to metres per second |
| 100 km/h | 27.7778 m/s | kilometres per hour to metres per second |
| 110 km/h | 30.5556 m/s | kilometres per hour to metres per second |
| 120 km/h | 33.3333 m/s | kilometres per hour to metres per second |
| 200 km/h | 55.5556 m/s | kilometres per hour to metres per second |
Units in this converter and their exact factors
| Unit | Symbol | One unit in metre per seconds |
|---|---|---|
| metre per second | m/s | 1 metre per second |
| kilometre per hour | km/h | 0.2777777778 metre per second |
| mile per hour | mph | 0.44704 metre per second |
| knot | kn | 0.5144444444 metre per second |
| foot per second | ft/s | 0.3048 metre per second |
| Mach (sea level, 15 °C) | Ma | 340.29 metre per second |
FAQFrequently asked questions about speed conversion
How do I convert km/h to m/s?
Divide by 3.6.
What is 100 km/h in m/s?
27.78 m/s.
What is 50 km/h?
13.89 m/s — a common urban speed limit.
Why convert at all?
Because physics formulas need SI base units. Using km/h in a kinetic energy calculation gives an answer wrong by a factor of 13.
What is 36 km/h?
Exactly 10 m/s.
Where these figures come from
- BIPM — The International System of Units (SI Brochure, 9th edition) — definitions of the base and derived units.
- NIST Special Publication 811 — Guide for the Use of the International System of Units — the exact conversion factors used here.
- National Measurement Institute (NMI) — Australia's national measurement authority.
Last checked: September 2026. Conversion factors are fixed by definition and do not change with tax years or regulations.