Calcylator
Feet per Second to Metres per Second

Feet per second to m/s:
multiply by 0.3048

Convert feet per second to metres per second for ballistics, archery and fluid flow, and convert m/s back with 3.28084.

Calcylator Editorial Team

Updated · 6 min read

How many m/s is 1 foot per second?

One foot per second is exactly 0.3048 metres per second. The number comes straight from the length of the international foot, which is defined as exactly 0.3048 metres, and a second is the same in both systems.

So the conversion only changes the length part of the speed. A speed in ft/s is always a bigger number than the same speed in m/s, because the foot is shorter than the metre. Going from m/s to ft/s multiplies by about 3.28084 instead.

The ft/s to m/s formula

Feet per second to metres per second =m/s = ft/s × 0.3048
m/s:
speed in metres per second
ft/s:
speed in feet per second
0.3048:
metres in one foot (exact)
To go the other way, multiply by 3.280839895: ft/s = m/s × 3.280839895.

  • Arrow speed

    300 ft/s

  • Multiply

    300 × 0.3048

Speed in m/s

91.44 m/s

300 × 0.3048 = 91.44, a speed some bow makers quote as 300 fps.

Here is a second example in a different setting. Water moving through a pipe at 15 ft/s is 15 × 0.3048 = 4.572 m/s. For the reverse direction, a sensor reading of 10 m/s is 10 × 3.280839895 = 32.808 ft/s.

  1. Write the speed in ft/s as a decimal.
  2. Multiply by 0.3048.
  3. Round to the precision the application needs, typically two or three decimals.
  4. Check that the m/s figure is about 30 percent of the ft/s figure.

Feet per second to m/s chart

Each row below is the ft/s value multiplied by 0.3048.

ft/s to m/s
Feet per second (ft/s)Metres per second (m/s)
1 ft/s0.3048 m/s
2 ft/s0.6096 m/s
5 ft/s1.524 m/s
10 ft/s3.048 m/s
25 ft/s7.62 m/s
50 ft/s15.24 m/s
100 ft/s30.48 m/s
250 ft/s76.2 m/s
500 ft/s152.4 m/s
1,000 ft/s304.8 m/s

Because the factor is exact, multiplying by 10 or 100 simply moves the decimal point, which makes mental checks easy.

Where fps to m/s conversions appear

Shooting and archery sports in the United States quote projectile speed in feet per second, often written fps. Many international specifications are given in m/s, so the same arrow or pellet needs converting before it can be compared.

Engineers meet it in piping and ventilation. American design tables give the flow in a duct or pipe in ft/s, while European calculations use m/s. Converting the limit first stops a sizing mistake before it reaches the drawing.

Common mistakes when converting ft/s to m/s

  • Multiplying by 3.28 when going from ft/s to m/s. That is the factor for the opposite direction and gives a result about ten times too large.
  • Confusing ft/s with mph. A speed of 88 ft/s is 60 mph, so the units are not interchangeable.
  • Rounding 0.3048 to 0.3 too early. It introduces an error of almost 1.6 percent.
  • Forgetting that only the length unit changes. The seconds stay as they are.

Common questions

How many m/s is 1 ft/s?

One foot per second is exactly 0.3048 metres per second. This is exact because the international foot is defined as 0.3048 metres. Multiply any ft/s figure by this number to get the speed in m/s.

How do I convert ft/s to m/s?

Multiply the feet per second by 0.3048. For example, 60 ft/s is 60 × 0.3048 = 18.288 m/s. A quick estimate is to divide the ft/s value by about 3.3.

How do I convert fps to m/s?

Treat fps as feet per second and multiply by 0.3048. An arrow at 250 fps travels at 250 × 0.3048 = 76.2 m/s. The abbreviation here is not frames per second, which is a different quantity.

How do I convert m/s to ft/s?

Multiply the metres per second by 3.280839895. For example, 25 m/s is about 82.02 ft/s. Alternatively, divide by 0.3048, which gives the same result because the foot is exactly 0.3048 metres.

Was this guide helpful?

Continue reading

View all blogs