Inches Per Second to Light Speed
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Conversion Table

How to convert

1 inch per second (in/s) = 8.47253E-11 light speed (ls). Inch Per Second (in/s) is a unit of Speed used in Standard system. Light Speed (ls) is a unit of Speed used in Metric system.

Inches per second: A unit of speed

Inches per second ( in/s) is a unit of speed or velocity in the US customary and imperial systems. It measures how fast an object is moving by calculating the distance traveled in inches divided by the time taken in seconds. For example, if a worm travels 2 inches in 1 second, its speed is 2 in/s.

How to convert inches per second

Inches 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:

• Meters per second (m/s): To convert from in/s to m/s, multiply by 0.0254. To convert from m/s to in/s, divide by 0.0254. For example, 1 in/s is equal to 0.0254 m/s, and 10 m/s is equal to 393.701 in/s.
• Kilometers per hour (km/h): To convert from in/s to km/h, multiply by 0.09144. To convert from km/h to in/s, divide by 0.09144. For example, 1 in/s is equal to 0.09144 km/h, and 50 km/h is equal to 547.867 in/s.
• Miles per hour (mph): To convert from in/s to mph, multiply by 0.0568182. To convert from mph to in/s, divide by 0.0568182. For example, 1 in/s is equal to 0.0568182 mph, and 30 mph is equal to 528 in/s.
• Knots (kn): To convert from in/s to kn, multiply by 0.0493737. To convert from kn to in/s, divide by 0.0493737. For example, 1 in/s is equal to 0.0493737 kn, and 15 kn is equal to 303.795 in/s.
• Feet per second (ft/s): To convert from in/s to ft/s, divide by 12. To convert from ft/s to in/s, multiply by 12. For example, 1 in/s is equal to 0.0833333 ft/s, and 10 ft/s is equal to 120 in/s .
• Miles per second (mi/s): To convert from in/s to mi/s , multiply by 1.5783x10 -5 . To convert from mi/s to in/s, divide by 1.5783x10 -5 . For example,1 in/s is equal to 1.5783x10 -5 mi/s, and 1 mi/s is equal to 63360 in/s .

Where inches per second are used

Inches per second are mainly used in engineering and manufacturing to measure the speed or velocity of machines and processes.

For example, the cutting speed of a lathe or a milling machine is often given in inches per minute, which is equivalent to inches per second divided by 60.

The rotational speed of a hard disk drive is often given in revolutions per minute, which can be converted to inches per second by multiplying by the circumference of the disk.

The flow rate of a fluid through a pipe or a nozzle is often given in gallons per minute, which can be converted to inches per second by multiplying by the cross-sectional area of the pipe or the nozzle.

Definition of inches per second

According to the US customary and imperial systems definition, one inch per second is the speed of a body that covers a distance of one inch in a time of one second.

Mathematically, it can be expressed as:

v = s / t

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

History of inches 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 inch was originally derived from the Roman uncia which was one twelfth of a Roman foot or about 0.97 inches .

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 inch per second as a unit of speed or velocity.

The inch per second was officially adopted as part of the US customary and imperial systems in the late 18th century.

Example conversions of inches per second to other units

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

1 in/s = 0.0254 m/s = 0.09144 km/h = 0.0568182 mph = 0.0493737 kn = 0.0833333 ft/s = 1.5783x10 -5 mi/s
2 in/s = 0.0508 m/s = 0.18288 km/h = 0.113636 mph = 0.0987474 kn = 0.166667 ft/s = 3.1566x10 -5 mi/s
5 in/s = 0.127 m/s = 0.4572 km/h = 0.284091 mph = 0.246869 kn = 0.416667 ft/s = 7.8915x10 -5 mi/s
10 in/s = 0.254 m/s = 0.9144 km/h = 0.568182 mph = 0.493737 kn = 0.833333 ft/s = 1.5783x10 -4 mi/s
20 in/s = 0.508 m/s = 1.8288 km/h = 1.13636 mph = 0.987475 kn = 1.66667 ft/s = 3.1566x10 -4 mi/s
50 in/s = 1.27 m/s = 4.572 km/h = 2.84091 mph = 2.46869 kn = 4.16667 ft/s = 7.8915x10 -4 mi/s
100 in/s = 2.54 m/s = 9.144 km/h = 5.68182 mph = 4.93737 kn = 8.33333 ft/s = 1.5783x10 -3 mi/s

Light Speed

Definition of Light Speed

Light speed, commonly denoted c, is a universal physical constant that is exactly equal to 299,792,458 metres per second (approximately 300,000 kilometres per second; 186,000 miles per second; 671 million miles per hour). It is the speed at which light waves propagate through vacuum, and also the upper limit for the speed at which any form of matter or energy can travel through space. Light speed is an essential parameter in the theories of relativity and electromagnetism, and has relevance beyond the context of light and electromagnetic waves.

How to Convert Light Speed

To convert light speed to other units of speed, we need to multiply or divide by the corresponding conversion factors. For example, to convert light speed to kilometers per hour, we need to multiply by 3,600, since there are 3,600 seconds in one hour. To convert light speed to miles per hour, we need to multiply by 2.2369362920544, since there are 2.2369362920544 miles in one kilometer.

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

• To convert c to kilometers per hour (km/h), we multiply by 3,600: c x 3,600 = 1,079,252,848.8 km/h
• To convert c to miles per hour (mph), we multiply by 2.2369362920544: c x 2.2369362920544 = 670,616,629.384 mph
• To convert c to feet per second (fps), we multiply by 3.2808398950131, since there are 3.2808398950131 feet in one meter: c x 3.2808398950131 = 983,571,056.43 fps
• To convert c to knots (kn), we multiply by 1.9438444924406, since there are 1.9438444924406 nautical miles in one kilometer: c x 1.9438444924406 = 582,749,918.284 kn
• To convert c to meters per second (m/s), we use the exact value: c = 299,792,458 m/s
• To convert c to meters per minute (m/min), we multiply by 60, since there are 60 seconds in one minute: c x 60 = 17,987,547,480 m/min

Where Light Speed Is Used

Light speed is used in various fields of science and technology where the properties and behavior of light and electromagnetic waves are studied or applied. For example:

• In astronomy and cosmology, light speed is used to measure astronomical distances and time scales, such as light-years and parsecs. It also determines the observable size and age of the universe and the effects of gravity on light such as gravitational lensing and gravitational redshift.
• In physics and engineering, light speed is used to calculate the energy and momentum of particles and fields using the famous equation E = mc2. It also sets the limit for causality and information transfer in physical systems.
• In communication and navigation, light speed is used to determine the delay and bandwidth of signals transmitted through various media such as optical fibers or radio waves. It also affects the accuracy and precision of measurements based on time-of-flight or Doppler effect methods.

History of Light Speed

The concept of light speed has a long history that spans across different cultures and disciplines. Some of the milestones in its development are:

• In ancient times, many philosophers and scientists assumed that light traveled instantaneously or infinitely fast.
• In the late 17th century, Danish astronomer Ole Romer was the first to demonstrate that light had a finite speed by observing the apparent motion of Jupiter’s moon Io. He estimated that light took about 22 minutes to cross the diameter of Earth’s orbit.
• In the early 18th century, English astronomer James Bradley discovered the aberration of starlight caused by Earth’s motion around the Sun. He used this phenomenon to calculate that light traveled about 10 thousand times faster than Earth’s orbital speed.
• In the late 19th century, French physicist Hippolyte Fizeau and American physicist Albert Michelson conducted various experiments using rotating mirrors or interferometers to measure the speed of light more accurately in air or vacuum.
• In the early 20th century, German-born physicist Albert Einstein proposed the special theory of relativity, which postulated that light speed was constant and independent of the motion of the source or the observer. He also showed that light speed was the maximum speed for any form of matter or energy in the universe.
• In the late 20th century, various methods and standards were developed to define and measure light speed more precisely and consistently. In 1983, the International System of Units (SI) adopted the exact value of 299,792,458 metres per second as the definition of light speed in vacuum.

Example Conversions of Light Speed to Other Units

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

• To convert c to kilometers per hour, we multiply by 3,600: c x 3,600 = 1,079,252,848.8 km/h
• To convert c to miles per hour, we multiply by 2.2369362920544: c x 2.2369362920544 = 670,616,629.384 mph
• To convert c to feet per second, we multiply by 3.2808398950131: c x 3.2808398950131 = 983,571,056.43 fps
• To convert c to knots, we multiply by 1.9438444924406: c x 1.9438444924406 = 582,749,918.284 kn
• To convert c to meters per second, we use the exact value: c = 299,792,458 m/s
• To convert c to meters per minute, we multiply by 60: c x 60 = 17,987,547,480 m/min
• To convert c to centimeters per second, we multiply by 100: c x 100 = 29,979,245,800 cm/s