Speed Calculator
Please provide any two values to the fields below to calculate the third value in the speed distance time equation of
| speed = | distance |
| time |
Speed Converter
The following converter converts between common speed units.
Speed, distance, and time
What is speed?
Speed is defined as the rate at which an object covers distance. It describes how quickly or slowly an object moves from one place to another. The standard (SI) unit of speed is meters per second (m/s), but it can also be expressed in other units, such as kilometers per hour (km/h), miles per hour (mph), or feet per second (ft/s), depending on the context or the country's measurement system.
The relationship between speed, distance, and time
Speed, distance, and time are closely interconnected and can be thought of as three pieces of a puzzle that fit together perfectly. The relationship can be summarized by the formula:
| speed = | distance |
| time |
This formula shows that:
- Speed increases if you cover more distance in the same amount of time, or if you cover a distance in less time.
- Distance can be calculated if you know the speed and time, with the formula: distance = speed × time
- Time required to cover a distance can be found if you know the speed and distance, using the formula:
time = distance speed
Imagine you are riding a bicycle at a constant speed of 10 meters per second (m/s) for 1 minute. How far will you have traveled by the end of that minute?
First, convert the time into seconds because our speed is in meters per second. One minute equals 60 seconds. Now, using the distance formula:
| distance = | speed × time |
| = | 10 m/s × 60 s |
| = | 600 m |
This means you will have traveled 600 meters in one minute.
Understanding the relationship between speed, distance, and time is not just about solving physics problems; it helps us in everyday situations. Whether you are trying to calculate how long it will take to get to school at a certain speed, how fast you need to run to win a race, or even how speed limits on roads are determined to ensure safety, these concepts are incredibly useful.
Common speed units
| m/s | km/h | mph | kn | ft/s | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 meter/second [m/s] = | 1 | 3.6 | 2.236928 | 1.943844 | 3.280840 |
| 1 kilometer/hour [km/h] = | 0.277778 | 1 | 0.621369 | 0.539957 | 0.911344 |
| 1 mile/hour [mph] = | 0.44704 | 1.60935 | 1 | 0.868979 | 1.466672 |
| 1 knot [kn] = | 0.514444 | 1.852 | 1.150775 | 1 | 1.687810 |
| 1 foot/second [ft/s] = | 0.3048 | 1.09728 | 0.681816 | 0.592484 | 1 |
Examples of different speeds
| m/s | km/h | mph | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average walking speed | 1.4 | 5 | 3.1 |
| Peak human running speed | 12.42 | 44.7 | 27.8 |
| Peak cheetah running speed | 33.53 | 120.7 | 75 |
| Average orbital speed of the Earth | 29,783 | 107,218 | 66,623 |
| Average orbital speed of the Sun | 251,000 | 904,000 | 561,000 |
| Speed of sound in air (sea level, 20°C) | 343 | 1,235 | 768 |
| Speed of light in vacuum | 299,792,458 | 1,079,252,848 | 670,616,629 |