The conversion formula for metres per second (m/s) to kilometres per hour (km/h, kph, kmph) conversions is as follows:

• 1 metre per second = 3.6 kilometres per hour

The conversion formula for kilometres per hour (km/h, kph, kmph) to metres per second (m/s) conversions is as follows:

• 1 kilometre per hour = 0.27777778 metres per second

The latter conversion formula is a correct to 8 decimal places, the exact figure being 1/3.6 which in decimal form has the seven recurring.

The conversion from metres per second to kilometres per hour can be thought of in two steps:

1. Convert metres per second to metres per hour by multiplying by 3,600, the number of seconds in an hour.

2. Convert metres per hour to kilometres per hour by dividing by 1,000, the number of metres in a kilometre.

The metre per second is the main SI derived unit for both speed and velocity. It is used for most scientific work, outside of astronomy but isn't used on a daily basis for car speeds and road speed limits.

Unit System

SI Metric

Definition

One metre per second is the speed when travelling one metre distance in one second time.

Base Unit

metre and second

The metre per second is derived from the SI base units of distance and time.

Abbreviation

Formal: m s-1

Alternate abbreviations include m·s-1, m/s and mps.

Information

The metre per second is one of the simplest SI units being derived from the distance unit of metres and the time unit of seconds.

Global Adoption

Metres per second are recognised world wide although they are not often used outside of scientific applications in the United States.

Conversion Formulae

• 1 metre per second = 1,000 millimetres per second
• 1 metre per second = 100 centimetres per second
• 1 metre per second = 10 decimetres per second
• 1 metre per second = 0.1 decametres per second
• 1 metre per second = 0.01 hectometres per second
• 1 metre per second = 0.001 kilometres per second
• 1 metre per second = 3.6 kilometres per hour
• 1 metre per second = 2.23694 miles per hour

• 1 millimetre per second = 0.001 metres per second
• 1 centimetre per second = 0.01 metres per second
• 1 decimetre per second = 0.1 metres per second
• 1 decametre per second = 10 metres per second
• 1 hectometre per second = 100 metres per second
• 1 kilometre per second = 1,000 metres per second
• 1 kilometre per hour = 0.27778 metres per second
• 1 mile per hour = 0.44704 metres per second

The kilometre per hour is the most commonly used unit of speed being used for speed limits in countries that have adopted the SI metric system.

Unit System

SI Metric

Definition

The kilometre per hour is defined as the speed when travelling the distance of one kilometre in a time of one hour.

Base Units

metre and second

The SI base unit of distance is the metre and the base unit of time the second. The kilometre per hour is a derived unit based upon these two units.

Abbreviation

Formal: km/h, km h-1 and km·h-1

Other abbreviations that are commonly used are kph and kmph. Less common and older abbreviations include k.p.h., km:h, km/hr, km./hr., kms/hr, kms./hr., k.m.p.h., KMph, km ph, K.P.H., KPH, km. hr., km/hour, km.-hr., km. per hour and Kmph. Over time the use of capitals in the abbreviations has been subject to the trends of the day and where the abbreviation is being used.

Information

The kilometre per hour was not the earliest metric unit of speed adopted, that honour goes to the myriametre per hour (1 myriametre = 10,000 metres = 10 kilometres), but became widely used during the expansion of the railways in the mid 19th century.

In 1972 with the full adoption of SI units across the European Union, the EU formally required the use of the SI kilometers per hour abbreviations (km/h, km h-1 and km·h-1) in all official documents and followed that up with the requirement for km/h on speedometers in 1975.

Global Adoption

Kilometres per hour are used in the vast majority of countries around the world and are the most common units for speed limits. Notable exceptions to this are the United States of America and the United Kingdom where miles per hour are still used for speed limits. Belize, Liberia and Myanmar have not yet adopted kilometres per hour for speed limits.

Conversion Formulae

• 1 kilometre per hour = 0.0002778 kilometres per second
• 1 kilometre per hour = 0.0166667 kilometres per minute
• 1 kilometre per hour = 0.2778 metres per second
• 1 kilometre per hour = 0.62137 miles per hour

• 1 kilometre per second = 3,600 kilometres per hour
• 1 kilometre per minute = 60 kilometres per hour
• 1 metre per second = 3.6 kilometres per hour
• 1 mile per hour = 1.609344 kilometres per hour

•   Kilometres Per Hour to Miles Per Hour

•   Metres Per Second to Miles Per Hour

•   Weights

•   Lengths

•   Temperatures

•   Areas

•   Volumes