120 kilometers per hour (kph) equals 33.3333 meters per second (mps).
To convert 120 kph to meters per second, you multiply 120 by the conversion factor 1000 meters per kilometer and divide by 3600 seconds per hour. This converts the speed from kilometers per hour to meters per second.
Conversion Tool
Result in mps:
Conversion Formula
The formula to convert kilometers per hour to meters per second is:
mps = kph × 1000 ÷ 3600
This formula works because 1 kilometer equals 1000 meters, and 1 hour equals 3600 seconds. So, to convert kph to mps, multiply the speed value by 1000 to get meters and then divide by 3600 to get per second.
Step-by-step example with 120 kph:
- Multiply 120 by 1000: 120 × 1000 = 120,000 meters
- Divide 120,000 by 3600 seconds: 120,000 ÷ 3600 = 33.3333 mps
Conversion Example
- Convert 90 kph to mps:
- Multiply 90 × 1000 = 90,000 meters
- Divide 90,000 ÷ 3600 = 25 mps
- Convert 150 kph to mps:
- 150 × 1000 = 150,000 meters
- 150,000 ÷ 3600 = 41.6667 mps
- Convert 110 kph to mps:
- 110 × 1000 = 110,000 meters
- 110,000 ÷ 3600 = 30.5556 mps
- Convert 100 kph to mps:
- 100 × 1000 = 100,000 meters
- 100,000 ÷ 3600 = 27.7778 mps
Conversion Chart
| Speed (kph) | Speed (mps) |
|---|---|
| 95.0 | 26.3889 |
| 100.0 | 27.7778 |
| 105.0 | 29.1667 |
| 110.0 | 30.5556 |
| 115.0 | 31.9444 |
| 120.0 | 33.3333 |
| 125.0 | 34.7222 |
| 130.0 | 36.1111 |
| 135.0 | 37.5000 |
| 140.0 | 38.8889 |
| 145.0 | 40.2778 |
This chart shows the equivalent speeds in meters per second (mps) for speeds in kilometers per hour (kph) from 95.0 to 145.0. To use it, find the kph value in the left column and read across to see the mps value.
Related Conversion Questions
- How many meters per second is 120 kilometers per hour?
- What is the formula to convert 120 kph to mps?
- Is 120 kph faster than 33 mps or slower?
- How do you convert 120 kph into meters per second without a calculator?
- What speed in mps corresponds to 120 kilometers per hour on a speedometer?
- Can you convert 120 kph to mps using simple multiplication?
- Why does 120 kph equal approximately 33.33 mps?
Conversion Definitions
kph (kilometers per hour): A unit measuring speed or velocity expressing the number of kilometers traveled in one hour. It commonly used in transportation and traffic speed limits, providing a way to quantify how fast an object moves over a distance in terms of kilometers within sixty minutes.
mps (meters per second): A standard unit of speed in the metric system representing how many meters an object moves each second. It’s useful in physics and engineering where precise time and distance measurements matter, reflecting instantaneous velocity in SI units for scientific calculations.
Conversion FAQs
Why divide by 3600 when converting kph to mps?
Because there are 3600 seconds in one hour (60 minutes × 60 seconds), dividing by 3600 changes the time unit from hours to seconds. Since kilometers are converted to meters by multiplying by 1000, adjusting time units ensures the speed is correctly expressed per second instead per hour.
Can this conversion be reversed easily?
Yes, to convert meters per second back to kilometers per hour, multiply by 3600 and divide by 1000. This reverses the earlier calculation, turning mps into kph by changing seconds back into hours and meters back into kilometers.
Does the conversion change if you use miles instead of kilometers?
Yes, because miles and kilometers are different distance units. When converting miles per hour (mph) to meters per second, a different conversion factor applies. Using the kph to mps formula directly with miles would give wrong results.
Why use meters per second instead of kilometers per hour?
Meters per second is often preferred in science and engineering because it’s based on base SI units (meters and seconds), allowing easier calculations and consistency in formulas involving force, acceleration, or velocity. Kph suits everyday use like driving speeds.
Is the conversion factor exact or approximate?
The conversion factor 1000 ÷ 3600 equals 0.277777…, a repeating decimal. While 0.2778 is often used for simplicity, precise calculations keep the repeating decimal to maintain accuracy, especially in scientific contexts.