Metre per second

The metre per second is the unit of both speed (a scalar quantity) and velocity (a vector quantity, which has direction and magnitude) in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the speed of a body covering a distance of one metre in a time of one second. As the base unit for speed in the SI, it is commonly used in physics, mechanics, and engineering contexts. It represents both scalar speed and vector velocity, depending on context. According to the definition of metre, 1 m/s is exactly ${\textstyle {\frac {1}{299792458}}}$ of the speed of light.

The SI unit symbols are m/s, m·s⁻¹, m s⁻¹, or ⁠m/s⁠.

1 m/s is equivalent to:

1 foot per second = 0.3048 m/s (exactly)

1 mile per hour = 0.44704 m/s (exactly)

1 km/h = 0.27 m/s (exactly)

The metre per second became the official SI derived unit for both speed and velocity with the establishment of the International System of Units (SI) in 1960 by the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM). Prior to this, various units such as feet per second, miles per hour, and knots were more commonly used, depending on the region and application.

The unit derives from the SI base units of metre (length) and second (time), both of which were defined more precisely in the 20th century. The metre was originally based on the dimensions of the Earth, but is now defined by the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second. The second is defined using the vibration frequency of caesium atoms (9,192,631,770 oscillations per second). Because of its accuracy, simplicity and preciseness, this unit is adopted as the official unit of speed and velocity and is almost always used as the unit of speed and velocity in scientific occasions.