What is metre per second?

Metre per second is the SI unit of speed. It is used in physics, engineering, and scientific contexts to express velocity, and serves as the reference unit for all speed calculations in this converter.

Real-world uses

Metres per second is the SI unit of speed used in physics, engineering, and scientific research. Wind speed in meteorological data, projectile velocities, and fluid flow rates are expressed in m/s. The speed of sound at sea level is approximately 343 m/s.

History

As an SI derived unit, metres per second became the standard scientific speed unit with the adoption of the SI system in 1960. It naturally combines the base units of length (metre) and time (second).

Common mistakes

Forgetting to convert from km/h—divide by 3.6, not by 3.0 or 60. Also, confusing velocity (vector with direction) with speed (scalar magnitude), both expressed in m/s but with different physical meanings.

What is knot?

A knot is a unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour, approximately 1.852 km/h. It is the international standard for maritime navigation, aviation, and meteorological wind speed reporting.

Real-world uses

Knots are the universal speed unit in maritime navigation and aviation worldwide, regardless of whether a country uses metric or imperial. Ship speeds, ocean currents, wind speed in aviation weather (METAR) reports, and jet stream velocities are all given in knots.

History

The knot originates from the 17th-century practice of measuring ship speed by throwing a log overboard attached to a rope with knots tied at regular intervals. Sailors counted how many knots paid out in a fixed time (measured by a sandglass).

Common mistakes

Saying "knots per hour"—a knot already means nautical miles per hour, so adding "per hour" is redundant and incorrect. Also, confusing knots with km/h: 1 knot ≈ 1.852 km/h.

When is this conversion used?

Converting between metre per second and knot is common when working across metric and imperial systems, such as international trade, travel between countries with different measurement standards, or following instructions from a different region.

Worked examples

1 metre per second = 1.94384449 knot

1 knot = 0.51444444 metre per second

How to convert metre per second to knot

To convert metre per second to knot, multiply the value by 1.94384449.

To convert knot back to metre per second, multiply by 0.51444444.

Measurement standards

The SI unit of speed is metres per second (m/s), a derived unit requiring no independent definition. The knot is defined as exactly one nautical mile (1,852 metres) per hour and is sanctioned for maritime and aeronautical navigation by the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Did you know?

The fastest human-made object is the Parker Solar Probe, which reached 635,266 km/h (about 176 km/s) in 2024 during a close pass of the Sun — fast enough to travel from New York to Tokyo in under a minute.

Quick reference: metre per second to knot

metre per second	knot
0.1	0.19438445
0.5	0.97192225
1	1.94384449
2	3.88768899
5	9.71922246
10	19.43844493
25	48.59611232
50	97.19222463
100	194.38444926
250	485.96112315
500	971.9222463
1,000	1,943.84449261

Common values

	metre per second	knot
Walking speed	1.4 metre per second	2.72138229 knot
City speed limit	13.9 metre per second	27.01943845 knot
Highway driving	31.3 metre per second	60.84233262 knot
Commercial aircraft	250 metre per second	485.96112315 knot
Speed of sound (sea level)	340.29 metre per second	661.47084239 knot

Available Speed units

More metre per second conversions

Assumption: Mach uses an approximate sea-level reference (about 340.29 m/s).