Mach Number to Kilometers Per Second Conversion
Enter the Mach number below to convert the speed to kilometers per second.
How to Convert Mach Number to Kilometers Per Second
To convert a Mach measurement to a kilometer per second measurement, multiply the Mach number by the conversion ratio. Mach 1 is equal to 0.343 kilometers per second, so use this simple formula to convert:
The speed in kilometers per second is equal to the Mach number multiplied by 0.343.
Mach number and kilometers per second are both units used to measure speed. Keep reading to learn more about each unit of measure.
Mach Number
Mach, sometimes also referred to as a Mach number, is the ratio of the speed of an object to the speed of sound.[1]
Mach can be abbreviated as M, and is also sometimes abbreviated as Ma. For example, Mach 1 can be written as 1 M or 1 Ma.
Although Mach can be abbreviated M or Ma, the Mach number is typically expressed with the number after the unit name. For example, the expression Mach 3 is preferred rather than 3 Machs or 3 M.
The speed is classified as either subsonic, transonic, supersonic, or hypersonic depending on the Mach number.
| Speed Classification | Mach Number |
|---|---|
| Subsonic | Mach < 1.0 |
| Transonic | Mach = 1.0 |
| Supersonic | Mach > 1.0 |
| Hypersonic | Mach > 5.0 |
Kilometers Per Second
Kilometers per second are a measurement of speed expressing the distance travelled 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 formal expressions, the slash, or solidus (/), is used to separate units used to indicate division in an expression.[2]
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.
Mach to Kilometer Per Second Conversion Table
| Mach Number | Kilometers Per Second |
|---|---|
| Mach 0.25 | 0.08575 km/s |
| Mach 0.5 | 0.1715 km/s |
| Mach 0.75 | 0.25725 km/s |
| Mach 1 | 0.343 km/s |
| Mach 1.5 | 0.5145 km/s |
| Mach 2 | 0.686 km/s |
| Mach 2.5 | 0.8575 km/s |
| Mach 3 | 1.029 km/s |
| Mach 3.5 | 1.2005 km/s |
| Mach 4 | 1.372 km/s |
| Mach 4.5 | 1.5435 km/s |
| Mach 5 | 1.715 km/s |
| Mach 5.5 | 1.8865 km/s |
| Mach 6 | 2.058 km/s |
| Mach 6.5 | 2.2295 km/s |
| Mach 7 | 2.401 km/s |
| Mach 7.5 | 2.5725 km/s |
| Mach 8 | 2.744 km/s |
| Mach 8.5 | 2.9155 km/s |
| Mach 9 | 3.087 km/s |
| Mach 9.5 | 3.2585 km/s |
| Mach 10 | 3.43 km/s |
References
- NASA, Mach Number, https://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/BGH/mach.html
- 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
