Feet per second to meters per second (ft/s to m/s) converter

What is a feet per second to meters per second converter?

A feet per second to meters per second converter is an online tool that changes a speed expressed in feet per second (ft/s) into its equivalent in meters per second (m/s), and the other way around. Feet per second is an imperial and US customary unit of velocity, while meters per second is the base unit of speed in the International System of Units (SI). Because engineering, physics, sports analytics, and weather reporting frequently mix these two systems, a quick and reliable conversion between them is genuinely useful.

The two units measure exactly the same physical quantity — distance traveled per unit of time — so converting between them is simply a matter of restating a number, not changing what it describes.

How it works

The conversion rests on a single fixed relationship between the foot and the meter. One international foot is defined as exactly 0.3048 meters. Since both units use the same unit of time (the second), the speed conversion factor is identical to the length conversion factor.

That gives you two simple operations:

• To go from ft/s to m/s, multiply by 0.3048.
• To go from m/s to ft/s, divide by 0.3048, which is the same as multiplying by about 3.28084.

The converter handles decimals and large values automatically, so you can enter anything from a slow walking pace to projectile speeds and read off the result immediately.

Formula

To convert feet per second to meters per second:

$v_{m/s} = v_{ft/s} \times 0.3048$

To convert meters per second back to feet per second:

$v_{ft/s} = v_{m/s} \times 3.28084$

Feet per second to meters per second conversion table

The table below lists common speeds in feet per second and their equivalents in meters per second.

Examples

Example 1: 1 ft/s to m/s

A single foot per second is the baseline conversion. Multiply by the factor 0.3048:

$1 \text{ ft/s} \times 0.3048 = 0.3048 \text{ m/s}$

Example 2: 10 ft/s to m/s

A wind gust of 10 feet per second converts as follows:

$10 \text{ ft/s} \times 0.3048 = 3.048 \text{ m/s}$

Example 3: 1 m/s to ft/s

Working in the other direction, one meter per second equals:

$1 \text{ m/s} \times 3.28084 = 3.28084 \text{ ft/s}$

Example 4: 1000 ft/s to m/s

For a fast-moving object such as a small projectile traveling at 1000 feet per second:

$1000 \text{ ft/s} \times 0.3048 = 304.8 \text{ m/s}$

Notes

• The factor 0.3048 is exact by definition of the international foot, so conversions are precise rather than approximate.
• The reverse factor 3.28084 is a rounded value of 1 ÷ 0.3048; for most everyday work it gives accurate results, but keep extra decimal places for high-precision engineering tasks.
• Feet per second and meters per second share the same time base, so only the length unit changes during conversion.
• If you need other speed units, this converter also lets you switch the input or output to miles per hour, kilometers per hour, or knots.

Frequently asked questions

How many meters per second are in 1 foot per second?

One foot per second equals exactly 0.3048 meters per second, because one foot is defined as 0.3048 meters and both units use the second as their time base.

How do I convert meters per second to feet per second?

Multiply the value in meters per second by about 3.28084. For example, 5 m/s is roughly 16.4 ft/s. This is the inverse of multiplying by 0.3048.

Is the conversion factor exact or approximate?

The factor 0.3048 (ft/s to m/s) is exact, since the international foot is legally defined as 0.3048 meters. The reverse factor 3.28084 is a rounded approximation of 1 ÷ 0.3048.

Why are both feet per second and meters per second used?

Meters per second is the SI standard used worldwide in science and metric countries, while feet per second remains common in the United States and in fields such as ballistics, aviation, and some engineering disciplines. Converting between them lets these systems communicate.

What is 100 ft/s in meters per second?

Multiply 100 by 0.3048 to get 30.48 m/s. You can confirm this with the conversion table above.

Can this converter handle other speed units?

Yes. In addition to feet per second and meters per second, you can select miles per hour, kilometers per hour, or knots on either side of the converter to translate between several common speed units.