Kilometers Per Second to Knots
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1 kilometer per second (km/s) = 1943.84449 knot (kt). Kilometer Per Second (km/s) is a unit of Speed used in Metric system. Knot (kt) is a unit of Speed used in Standard system.

Kilometers per second: A unit of speed

Kilometers per second (km/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 kilometers divided by the time taken in seconds. For example, if a rocket travels 10 kilometers in 5 seconds, its speed is 2 km/s.

How to convert kilometers per second

Kilometers 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 km/s to m/s, multiply by 1000. To convert from m/s to km/s, divide by 1000. For example, 2 km/s is equal to 2000 m/s, and 500 m/s is equal to 0.5 km/s.
• Kilometers per hour (km/h): To convert from km/s to km/h, multiply by 3600. To convert from km/h to km/s, divide by 3600. For example, 2 km/s is equal to 7200 km/h, and 100 km/h is equal to 0.028 km/s.
• Miles per hour (mph): To convert from km/s to mph, multiply by 2236.94. To convert from mph to km/s, divide by 2236.94. For example, 2 km/s is equal to 4473.88 mph, and 60 mph is equal to 0.027 km/s.
• Knots (kn): To convert from km/s to kn, multiply by 1943.84. To convert from kn to km/s, divide by 1943.84. For example, 2 km/s is equal to 3887.68 kn, and 30 kn is equal to 0.015 km/s.
• Feet per second (ft/s): To convert from km/s to ft/s, multiply by 3280.84. To convert from ft/s to km/s, divide by 3280.84. For example, 2 km/s is equal to 6561.68 ft/s, and 100 ft/s is equal to 0.03 km/s.
• Miles per second (mi/s): To convert from km/s to mi/s, multiply by 0.621371. To convert from mi/s to km/s, divide by 0.621371. For example, 2 km/s is equal to 1.24 mi/s, and 1 mi/s is equal to 1.61 km/s.

Where kilometers per second are used

Kilometers per second are mainly used in astronomy and space science to measure the speed or velocity of celestial bodies and spacecrafts.

For example, the Earth orbits the Sun at an average speed of about 30 km/s.

The Moon orbits the Earth at an average speed of about 1 km/s.

The International Space Station orbits the Earth at an average speed of about 7.66 km/s.

The Voyager 1 spacecraft, which is the farthest human-made object from Earth, travels at a speed of about 17 km/s.

The speed of light in a vacuum is about 300000 km/s.

Definition of kilometers per second

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

Mathematically, it can be expressed as:

v = s / t

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

History of kilometers 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 kilometer 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 kilometer per second as a unit of speed or velocity.

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

Example conversions of kilometers per second to other units

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

• 1 km/s =1000 m/s = 3600 km/h = 2236.94 mph = 1943.84 kn = 3280.84 ft/s = 0.62 mi/s
• 2 km/s = 2000 m/s = 7200 km/h = 4473.88 mph = 3887.68 kn = 6561.68 ft/s = 1.24 mi/s
• 5 km/s = 5000 m/s = 18000 km/h = 11184.7 mph = 9721.92 kn = 16404.2 ft/s = 3.11 mi/s
• 10 km/s = 10000 m/s = 36000 km/h = 22369.4 mph = 19438.4 kn = 32808.4 ft/s = 6.21 mi/s
• 20 km/s = 20000 m/s = 72000 km/h = 44738.8 mph = 38876.8 kn = 65616.8 ft/s = 12.43 mi/s
• 50 km/s = 50000 m/s = 180000 km/h = 111847 mph = 97219.2 kn = 164042 ft/s = 31.07 mi/s
• 100 km/s = 100000 m/s = 360000 km/h = 223694 mph = 194384 kn = 328084 ft/s = 62.14 mi/s

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