Feet per Second to Meters per Second Converter

Convert speeds between feet per second (ft/s) and meters per second (m/s) instantly, with precise formulas and a handy reference table.

ft/s ⇄ m/s Speed Converter

ft/s

Example: 10 ft/s ≈ 3.048 m/s

m/s

Example: 5 m/s ≈ 16.404 ft/s

Using exact factor: 1 ft = 0.3048 m

Common ft/s to m/s conversions

Feet per second to meters per second table

Feet per second (ft/s) Meters per second (m/s)

Values are rounded to 4 decimal places for readability.

How to convert feet per second to meters per second

Feet per second (ft/s) and meters per second (m/s) both measure speed. The only difference is the length unit: feet are imperial, meters are metric (SI).

Exact conversion factors

  • 1 foot = 0.3048 meters (exact, by definition)
  • 1 meter ≈ 3.280839895 feet

Feet per second to meters per second

\( \text{m/s} = \text{ft/s} \times 0.3048 \)

Meters per second to feet per second

\( \text{ft/s} = \dfrac{\text{m/s}}{0.3048} = \text{m/s} \times 3.280839895 \)

Example 1 – Convert 15 ft/s to m/s

  1. Write the formula: \( \text{m/s} = \text{ft/s} \times 0.3048 \)
  2. Substitute: \( \text{m/s} = 15 \times 0.3048 \)
  3. Calculate: \( 15 \times 0.3048 = 4.572 \)

Answer: 15 ft/s = 4.572 m/s

Example 2 – Convert 20 m/s to ft/s

  1. Use the inverse formula: \( \text{ft/s} = \text{m/s} \times 3.280839895 \)
  2. Substitute: \( \text{ft/s} = 20 \times 3.280839895 \)
  3. Calculate: \( 20 \times 3.280839895 ≈ 65.6168 \)

Answer: 20 m/s ≈ 65.6168 ft/s

Why convert between ft/s and m/s?

Converting between these units is common when:

  • Comparing US engineering data (often in ft/s) with scientific literature (usually in m/s).
  • Working with ballistics, fluid flow, or sports timing where legacy data is in feet per second.
  • Standardizing calculations to SI units for formulas that expect m/s.

Typical speeds in ft/s and m/s

  • Walking speed (~1.4 m/s) ≈ 4.6 ft/s
  • Jogging (~3 m/s) ≈ 9.8 ft/s
  • Highway car speed (27.8 m/s ≈ 100 km/h) ≈ 91.2 ft/s

FAQ

How precise is this converter?

The calculator uses the exact definition 1 ft = 0.3048 m. Internally it keeps full double‑precision accuracy and only rounds the displayed result to a reasonable number of decimal places.

Can I convert negative values?

Yes. A negative speed can represent direction (for example, in 1‑D motion problems). The same conversion factors apply.

How do I convert ft/s to other units like mph or km/h?

First convert ft/s to m/s with this tool, then use a speed converter such as the Speed Unit Converter (mph, kph, m/s, knots) to convert to mph, km/h, or other units.