Knots to Meters Per Second
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1 knot (kt) = 0.514444445 meter per second (m/s). Knot (kt) is a unit of Speed used in Standard system. Meter Per Second (m/s) is a unit of Speed used in Metric system.

Knots

Definition of Knots

Knots, commonly denoted kn, is a unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour, exactly 1.852 km/h (approximately 1.151 mph or 0.514 m/s). It is the standard unit of speed used in meteorology, and in maritime and air navigation. A vessel travelling at 1 kn along a meridian travels approximately one minute of geographic latitude in one hour.

How to Convert Knots

To convert knots to other units of speed, we need to multiply or divide by the corresponding conversion factors. For example, to convert knots to kilometers per hour, we need to multiply by 1.852, since there are 1.852 kilometers in one nautical mile. To convert knots to meters per second, we need to divide by 3.6, since there are 3.6 seconds in one hour.

Here are some examples of how to convert knots to other units of length in the US Standard system and the SI system:

• To convert 10 kn to kilometers per hour (km/h), we multiply by 1.852: 10 kn x 1.852 = 18.52 km/h
• To convert 20 kn to miles per hour (mph), we multiply by 1.1507794480235, since there are 1.1507794480235 miles in one nautical mile: 20 kn x 1.1507794480235 = 23.01558896047 mph
• To convert 30 kn to feet per second (fps), we multiply by 1.6878098571012, since there are 1.6878098571012 feet in one meter: 30 kn x 1.6878098571012 = 50.634295713036 fps
• To convert 40 kn to meters per second (m/s), we divide by 3.6: 40 kn / 3.6 = 11.111111111111 m/s
• To convert 50 kn to meters per minute (m/min), we multiply by 60, since there are 60 minutes in one hour: 50 kn x 60 = 3,000 m/min
• To convert 60 kn to centimeters per second (cm/s), we multiply by 100, since there are 100 centimeters in one meter, and divide by 3.6: 60 kn x 100 / 3.6 = 5,000 cm/s

Where Knots Are Used

Knots are used in various fields of science and technology where the speed and direction of movement of objects or phenomena are measured or applied in relation to water or air currents. For example:

• In meteorology, knots are used to measure wind speed and direction, as well as the speed and direction of storms, hurricanes, and other weather phenomena.
• In maritime navigation, knots are used to measure the speed and direction of ships, boats, submarines, and other watercraft, as well as the speed and direction of ocean currents, tides, and waves.
• In air navigation, knots are used to measure the speed and direction of aircraft, helicopters, rockets, satellites, and other aerospace vehicles, as well as the speed and direction of air currents, jet streams, and wind shear.

History of Knots

The origin of knots as a unit of speed can be traced back to the ancient practice of measuring the speed of ships by using a device called a chip log or log-line. This device consisted of a wooden board attached to a rope with knots tied at regular intervals along its length. The board was thrown overboard from the stern of the ship and allowed to drag behind it while the rope was let out for a fixed amount of time (usually measured by a sandglass). The number of knots that passed over the rail of the ship during that time indicated the speed of the ship in nautical miles per hour.

The first recorded use of this method was by the Phoenicians around the second millennium BCE. The device was later improved and standardized by various civilizations such as the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Vikings, Chinese, and Europeans. The length of the nautical mile and the spacing of the knots varied from place to place and from time to time until they were fixed by international agreement in the late nineteenth century.

The term knot was derived from the Old English word cnotta meaning “a knot”. It was first used as a unit of speed by English sailors in the early seventeenth century.

Example Conversions of Knots to Other Units

Here are some examples of how to convert knots to other units of speed, using the conversion factors given above:

• To convert 100 kn to kilometers per hour, we multiply by 1.852: 100 kn x 1.852 = 185.2 km/h
• To convert 200 kn to miles per hour, we multiply by 1.1507794480235: 200 kn x 1.1507794480235 = 230.15589792094 mph
• To convert 300 kn to feet per second, we multiply by 1.6878098571012: 300 kn x 1.6878098571012 = 506.34295713011 fps
• To convert 400 kn to meters per second, we divide by 3.6: 400 kn / 3.6 = 111.11111111111 m/s
• To convert 500 kn to meters per minute, we multiply by 60: 500 kn x 60 = 30,000 m/min
• To convert 600 kn to centimeters per second, we multiply by 100 and divide by 3.6: 600 kn x 100 / 3.6 = 50,000 cm/s
• To convert 700 kn to millimeters per minute, we multiply by 1000, since there are 1000 millimeters in one meter, and multiply by 60: 700 kn x 1000 x 60 = 42,000,000 mm/min

Meters per second: A unit of speed

Meters per second (m/s) is a unit of speed or velocity in the International System of Units (SI). It measures how fast an object is moving by calculating the distance traveled in meters divided by the time taken in seconds. For example, if a car travels 100 meters in 5 seconds, its speed is 20 m/s.

How to convert meters per second

Meters per second can be converted to other units of speed or velocity by using simple conversion factors. Here are some common units and their conversion factors:

• Kilometers per hour (km/h): To convert from m/s to km/h, multiply by 3.6. To convert from km/h to m/s, divide by 3.6. For example, 20 m/s is equal to 72 km/h, and 50 km/h is equal to 13.89 m/s.
• Miles per hour (mph): To convert from m/s to mph, multiply by 2.2369. To convert from mph to m/s, divide by 2.2369. For example, 20 m/s is equal to 44.74 mph, and 30 mph is equal to 13.41 m/s.
• Knots (kn): To convert from m/s to kn, multiply by 1.9438. To convert from kn to m/s, divide by 1.9438. For example, 20 m/s is equal to 38.88 kn, and 15 kn is equal to 7.72 m/s.
• Feet per second (ft/s): To convert from m/s to ft/s, multiply by 3.2808. To convert from ft/s to m/s, divide by 3.2808. For example, 20 m/s is equal to 65.62 ft/s, and 40 ft/s is equal to 12.19 m/s.

Where meters per second are used

Meters per second are widely used in science and engineering to measure the speed or velocity of various phenomena, such as sound waves, light waves, wind speed, fluid flow, projectile motion, etc.

Meters per second are also used in some countries as the official unit of speed or velocity for road traffic signs and regulations. For example, in Canada, the maximum speed limit on highways is usually 100 km/h, which is equivalent to 27.78 m/s.

Meters per second are also used in sports and athletics to measure the performance of athletes, such as sprinters, swimmers, cyclists, etc.

Definition of meters per second

According to the SI definition, one meter per second is the speed of a body that covers a distance of one meter in a time of one second.

Mathematically, it can be expressed as:

v = s / t

where v is the speed or velocity in meters per second, s is the distance traveled in meters, and t is the time taken in seconds.

History of meters per second

The concept of speed or velocity has been studied since ancient times by philosophers and scientists such as Aristotle, Galileo, Newton, etc.

The meter was originally defined in 1793 by the French Academy of Sciences as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole along a meridian through Paris.

The second was originally defined in terms of the Earth’s rotation as one eighty-six thousand four hundredth of a mean solar day.

The combination of these two units resulted in the meter per second as a unit of speed or velocity.

The meter per second was officially adopted as part of the SI system in 1960.

Example conversions of meters per second to other units

Here are some examples of converting meters per second to other units of speed or velocity:

• 10 m/s = 36 km/h = 22.37 mph = 19.44 kn = 32.81 ft/s
• 5 m/s = 18 km/h = 11.18 mph = 9.72 kn = 16.4 ft/s
• 15 m/s = 54 km/h = 33.55 mph = 29.17 kn = 49.21 ft/s
• 25 m/s = 90 km/h = 55.92 mph = 48.61 kn = 82.02 ft/s
• 50 m/s = 180 km/h = 111.85 mph = 97.22 kn = 164.04 ft/s
• 100 m/s = 360 km/h = 223.69 mph = 194.39 kn = 328.08 ft/s
• 200 m/s = 720 km/h = 447.39 mph = 388.79 kn = 656.17 ft/s