Miles per Hour to Meters per Second Converter

mph	m/s	mph	m/s
10 mph	4.47 m/s	70 mph	31.29 m/s
20 mph	8.94 m/s	80 mph	35.76 m/s
30 mph	13.41 m/s	90 mph	40.23 m/s
40 mph	17.88 m/s	100 mph	44.70 m/s
50 mph	22.35 m/s	200 mph	89.41 m/s
60 mph	26.82 m/s	300 mph	134.11 m/s

Complete Guide: Converting MPH to Meters per Second

Converting miles per hour (mph) to meters per second (m/s) is essential for scientific calculations, engineering applications, and physics problems. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need for accurate mph to m/s conversion.

Understanding the Units

Miles per hour (mph) is an imperial unit commonly used for everyday speed measurements, while meters per second (m/s) is the SI base unit for velocity used in scientific and engineering contexts worldwide.

Conversion Formula

The conversion from mph to m/s uses the following formula:

m/s = mph × 0.44704

Alternatively, you can divide mph by 2.236936 to get the same result.

Derivation of the Conversion Factor

The conversion factor 0.44704 comes from:

1 mile = 1,609.344 meters
1 hour = 3,600 seconds
Therefore: 1 mph = 1,609.344 ÷ 3,600 = 0.44704 m/s

Why Convert to m/s?

Converting to m/s is important for:

Scientific calculations: m/s is the standard SI unit
Physics problems: Most formulas use m/s
Engineering: International standards require SI units
Research: Scientific publications use metric units

Common Speed Conversions

School zone: 25 mph = 11.2 m/s
City driving: 35 mph = 15.6 m/s
Highway speed: 65 mph = 29.1 m/s
High speed: 100 mph = 44.7 m/s
Supersonic: 750 mph = 335.3 m/s (approximately speed of sound)

Applications in Science and Engineering

Kinematics: Calculating displacement, acceleration, and time
Fluid dynamics: Flow velocity calculations
Aerodynamics: Aircraft and vehicle performance analysis
Materials testing: Impact velocity measurements
Sports science: Performance analysis and biomechanics

Practical Examples

A car traveling at 60 mph moves at 26.8 m/s
A baseball pitch of 95 mph equals 42.5 m/s
Terminal velocity of a skydiver (~120 mph) is about 53.6 m/s
Cheetah running speed (70 mph) converts to 31.3 m/s

Quick Mental Conversion

For rough estimates, divide mph by 2.2
Remember that m/s will always be smaller than mph
60 mph ≈ 27 m/s (exactly 26.82 m/s)
100 mph ≈ 45 m/s (exactly 44.70 m/s)

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is m/s the preferred scientific unit?

m/s is part of the International System of Units (SI), ensuring consistency in scientific calculations worldwide and compatibility with other SI units in physics equations.

When should I convert mph to m/s?

Convert when doing physics calculations, engineering analysis, scientific research, or when working with international standards that require SI units.

How accurate is the 0.45 approximation?

Using 0.45 instead of 0.44704 introduces an error of about 0.7%, which is acceptable for rough estimates but not precise scientific work.

What's the relationship with other units?

1 mph = 0.44704 m/s = 1.609344 km/h = 0.868976 knots = 1.466667 ft/s. These relationships help in various conversion scenarios.

MPH to Meters per Second Converter

Conversion Result

Quick Conversions:

Quick Conversion Table

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