Kilometers per hour to meters per second
1 kilometer per hour = 0.277778 meters per second
Type a value in kilometers per hour (km/h) to get meters per second (m/s) straight away. A kilometer per hour is smaller than a meter per second, so the number goes down. Both units belong to speed, measured here against the meter per second.
1 km/h = 0.27777778 m/s
Formula
m/s = km/h × 0.27777778
One kilometer per hour is 0.27777778 meters per second, so multiply by that factor. You can also divide by 3.6, the number of kilometers per hour in one meter per second. Here km/h is the value in kilometers per hour and m/s is the result in meters per second.
Worked example: 100 kilometers per hour × 0.27777778 = 27.7778 meters per second.
Kilometers per hour to meters per second table
| kilometers per hour (km/h) | meters per second (m/s) |
|---|---|
| 1 km/h | 0.277778 m/s |
| 2 km/h | 0.555556 m/s |
| 3 km/h | 0.833333 m/s |
| 4 km/h | 1.11111 m/s |
| 5 km/h | 1.38889 m/s |
| 6 km/h | 1.66667 m/s |
| 7 km/h | 1.94444 m/s |
| 8 km/h | 2.22222 m/s |
| 9 km/h | 2.5 m/s |
| 10 km/h | 2.77778 m/s |
| 15 km/h | 4.16667 m/s |
| 20 km/h | 5.55556 m/s |
| 25 km/h | 6.94444 m/s |
| 30 km/h | 8.33333 m/s |
| 40 km/h | 11.1111 m/s |
| 50 km/h | 13.8889 m/s |
| 60 km/h | 16.6667 m/s |
| 75 km/h | 20.8333 m/s |
| 100 km/h | 27.7778 m/s |
Everyday kilometers per hour in meters per second
| What it is | km/h | m/s |
|---|---|---|
| walking pace | 5 km/h | 1.38889 m/s |
| a school-zone limit | 30 km/h | 8.33333 m/s |
| an Indian city limit (common) | 50 km/h | 13.8889 m/s |
| a highway limit | 100 km/h | 27.7778 m/s |
| an expressway limit | 120 km/h | 33.3333 m/s |
Quick estimate in your head
Multiply by about 0.28. For 100 km/h that gives 28 m/s against an exact 27.7778 m/s, an error of 0.8%.
About the units
Kilometer per hour (km/h). Used for road speed limits and car speedometers in most countries.
Meter per second (m/s). The SI unit of speed. Used in physics and for wind speed in forecasts.
Going the other way, 1 meter per second is 3.6 kilometers per hour.
Questions
How many meters per second are in 1 kilometer per hour?
1 kilometer per hour is 0.277778 meters per second, and 1 meter per second is 3.6 kilometers per hour.
How do I convert kilometers per hour to meters per second?
Use m/s = km/h × 0.27777778. For example, 100 kilometers per hour × 0.27777778 = 27.7778 meters per second.
Is the kilometer per hour to meter per second factor exact?
Yes, the definitions are exact, so the factor is exact. Results here are rounded to 6 significant digits for display.
How much is an expressway limit in meters per second?
120 km/h is 33.3333 m/s.
Source for the conversion factor: NIST SP 811, Appendix B (conversion factors).
Related conversions
- meters per second to kilometers per hour
- kilometers per hour to miles per hour
- meters per second to miles per hour
- miles per hour to meters per second
- kilometers per hour to knots
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