Acceleration conversion — Quick answer
Acceleration conversions use metres per second squared as the base unit.
1 g = 9.80665 m/s² · 1 ft/s² = 0.3048 m/s² · 1 mph/s = 0.44704 m/s²
Worked example: 1 g = 9.80665 m/s²; 10 m/s² = 32.81 ft/s².
1 m/s² in other units
| Unit | Value of 1 m/s² |
|---|
| Feet / second² (ft/s²) | 3.2808 |
| Standard gravity (g) | 0.10197 |
| Gal (cm/s²) | 100 |
| mph / second | 2.2369 |
Unit conversion only — to find acceleration from Δspeed ÷ time use an acceleration calculator.
Standards & method
✓ Independently verified 12 July 2026- Governing standard
- NIST SP 811 · ISO 80000
- Clauses applied
- NIST Special Publication 811 — Guide for the Use of the International System of Units, Appendix B conversion factors · ISO 80000 quantities and units. Factors marked "exact" are definitional.
- Core formula
1 g = 9.80665 m/s² (exact, standard gravity) · 1 ft/s² = 0.3048 m/s²- Why this matters
- Standard gravity is a DEFINED constant (9.80665 m/s²), not the local value — real gravity varies from about 9.78 at the equator to 9.83 at the poles.
- Independently verified
- 12 July 2026 — Re-derived from the governing standard and checked numerically against worked reference cases from the standard itself — not merely tested for “returns a number”.
Results are for guidance. Verify against the current edition of the governing standard and have a qualified professional review before use in practice.
Acceleration is how fast velocity changes. The SI unit is the metre per second squared (m/s²); the imperial unit is ft/s²; g expresses multiples of Earth's gravity (1 g = 9.80665 m/s²); the Gal is used in geophysics (1 cm/s²); and km/h/s and mph/s describe how quickly speed builds. This converter rebases through m/s².
Reviewed: June 20, 2026 · Author: Naveen P N, Founder — AI Calculator · Verified against: SI definitions (g = 9.80665, ft = 0.3048 m), recomputed in code.
How the conversion works
Each unit's factor in m/s²: ft/s² = 0.3048, g = 9.80665, Gal = 0.01, km/h/s = 0.277778, mph/s = 0.44704, m/s² = 1. Multiply by the from-factor to land in m/s², then divide by the to-factor. The g factor is exact by the international definition of standard gravity.
Worked examples
1 g to metres per second squared:
10 m/s² to feet per second squared:
100 km/h per second to m/s²:
So 1 g is 9.81 m/s², 10 m/s² is about 32.8 ft/s², and gaining 100 km/h every second is roughly 27.8 m/s² — nearly 3 g.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert m/s² to ft/s²?⌄
÷ 0.3048. 10 m/s² = 32.81 ft/s². Reverse: × 0.3048.
What is 1 g in m/s²?⌄
9.80665 m/s² (standard gravity). 2 g = 19.61 m/s²; 9.81 m/s² ≈ 1.0003 g.
What is a Gal?⌄
1 cm/s² = 0.01 m/s², used in geophysics. 1 m/s² = 100 Gal.
How do I convert mph per second?⌄
1 mph/s = 0.44704 m/s². Gaining 10 mph/s = 4.47 m/s². 1 km/h/s = 0.277778 m/s².
Does it find acceleration from speed & time?⌄
No — a = Δv ÷ Δt is a separate calc. This converts units only.