m/s to km/h

Meters per second and kilometres per hour both measure speed, but they use different distance and time units. This conversion works because 1 kilometre is 1000 metres and 1 hour is 3600 seconds, so 1 m/s equals 3600/1000 = 3.6 km/h. Multiplying by 3.6 changes the units while keeping the actual speed the same.

Use this when a speed is given in metres per second but you need it in kilometres per hour, such as in road safety, sports timing, weather, or science questions. It is especially useful when comparing speeds to everyday travel speeds on signs or in vehicles.

• Multiplying by 3.6 when converting the other way around instead of dividing
• Forgetting that the result should be in kilometres per hour, not metres per second
• Using 1000 or 3600 separately instead of the combined factor 3.6