Kilometers per Second to Speed of Light Converter

Enter the speed in kilometers per second below to convert it to speed of light.

km/s
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Result in Speed of Light:

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1 km/s = 3.3356E-6 c
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How to Convert Kilometers per Second to Speed of Light

To convert a measurement in kilometers per second to a measurement in speed of light, multiply the speed by the following conversion ratio: 3.3356E-6 speed of light/kilometer per second.

Since one kilometer per second is equal to 3.3356E-6 speed of light, you can use this simple formula to convert:

speed of light = kilometers per second × 3.3356E-6

The speed in speed of light is equal to the speed in kilometers per second multiplied by 3.3356E-6.

For example, here's how to convert 500,000 kilometers per second to speed of light using the formula above.

speed of light = (500,000 km/s × 3.3356E-6) = 1.66782 c

Kilometers per second and speed of light are both units used to measure speed. Keep reading to learn more about each unit of measure.

What Are Kilometers per Second?

Kilometers per second are a measurement of speed expressing the distance traveled in kilometers in one second.

The kilometer per second, or kilometre per second, is an SI unit of speed in the metric system. Kilometers per second can be abbreviated as km/s, and are also sometimes abbreviated as km/sec. For example, 1 kilometer per second can be written as 1 km/s or 1 km/sec.

In the expressions of units, the slash, or solidus (/), is used to express a change in one or more units relative to a change in one or more other units.[1] For example, km/s is expressing a change in length or distance relative to a change in time.

Kilometers per second can be expressed using the formula:
vkm/s = dkmtsec

The velocity in kilometers per second is equal to the distance in kilometers divided by time in seconds.

Learn more about kilometers per second.

What Is the Speed of Light?

The speed of light is equal to exactly 299,792,458 meters per second, or 670,616,629 miles per hour. The definition of the speed of light is actually derived from the most recent 1983 international definition of the meter.[2]

Speed of light can be abbreviated as c; for example, 1 speed of light can be written as 1 c.

Learn more about the speed of light.

Kilometer per Second to Speed of Light Conversion Table

Table showing various kilometer per second measurements converted to speed of light.
Kilometers Per Second Speed Of Light
1 km/s 0.0000033356 c
2 km/s 0.0000066713 c
3 km/s 0.000010007 c
4 km/s 0.000013343 c
5 km/s 0.000016678 c
6 km/s 0.000020014 c
7 km/s 0.000023349 c
8 km/s 0.000026685 c
9 km/s 0.000030021 c
10 km/s 0.000033356 c
100 km/s 0.000334 c
1,000 km/s 0.003336 c
10,000 km/s 0.033356 c
100,000 km/s 0.333564 c
1,000,000 km/s 3.3356 c

References

  1. National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST Guide to the SI, Chapter 6: Rules and Style Conventions for Printing and Using Units, https://www.nist.gov/pml/special-publication-811/nist-guide-si-chapter-6-rules-and-style-conventions-printing-and-using
  2. National Institute of Standards and Technology, SI Redefinition: Meter, https://www.nist.gov/si-redefinition/meter

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