The foot per second (ft/s) is a unit of speed in the Imperial system, representing the distance in feet traveled in one second. It is commonly used in aviation, sports, and engineering contexts where the foot is the base length unit.
Meter per second (m/s)
The meter per second (m/s) is the SI unit of speed, indicating how many meters are covered each second. It is the standard unit in scientific research, physics, and most international engineering specifications.
Conversion factor
The relationship between the two units is linear: \\(1\\,\\text{ft/s}=0.3048\\,\\text{m/s}\\). Therefore, to convert a value from ft/s to m/s you multiply by 0.3048.
Use cases: converting vehicle speeds, wind speeds, or fluid flow velocities from US customary units to metric.
Accuracy: the factor 0.3048 is exact because it is defined by the international yard definition.
Foot per second to Meter per second Conversion Reference Table
Foot per second (ft/s)
Meter per second (m/s)
0.1
0.0305
0.5
0.1524
1.0
0.3048
2.0
0.6096
5.0
1.524
10.0
3.048
20.0
6.096
50.0
15.24
100.0
30.48
500.0
152.4
1000.0
304.8
Example: Convert 10 ft/s to m/s
Step 1: Write the known value and the conversion factor.
The ft/s uses feet as the length unit, while m/s uses meters. To convert, multiply by the exact factor \(1\,\text{ft/s}=0.3048\,\text{m/s}\). This changes the scale but preserves the physical speed.
Apply the same factor: \(25\,\text{ft/s}\times0.3048=7.62\,\text{m/s}\). Multiply the numeric value by 0.3048 to obtain the speed in meters per second.
"On fait la science avec des faits, comme on fait une maison avec des pierres ; mais une accumulation de faits n'est pas plus une science qu'un tas de pierres n'est une maison." "Science is built up of facts, as a house is built of stones; but an accumulation of facts is no more a science than a heap of stones is a house." — Henri Poincaré (French Mathematician, Theoretical Physicist & Mining Engineer)