cm Per Second Converter
A walking adult moves at about 140 cm per second, which is 1.4 m/s.
Quick answer: Divide the speed in cm/s by 100 to get m/s. For example, 10 cm/s is 0.1 m/s, 140 cm/s is 1.4 m/s and 250 cm/s is 2.5 m/s.
The cm per second to m/s formula
Speed in metres per second equals speed in centimetres per second times 0.01.
The factor 0.01 is exact, since one centimetre is 0.01 metres.
Take 10 cm/s. 10 × 0.01 gives 0.1 m/s.
Take 140 cm/s. 140 × 0.01 gives 1.4 m/s.
Centimetres per second and metres per second
A centimetre per second is a small unit, handy for slow motion such as a robot, a conveyor or a gentle river current.
A metre per second is 100 times larger, and the metre is defined from the speed of light (CASRAI: The metre).
How to convert cm per second to m/s step by step
- Write down the speed in centimetres per second.
- Multiply it by 0.01.
- Round to the digits you need.
- Write the unit m/s after the answer.
Example 1: 10 cm/s
- Start with 10 cm/s.
- 10 × 0.01 = 0.1.
- The speed is 0.1 m/s.
10 cm/s = 0.1 m/s
Example 2: 140 cm/s
- Start with 140 cm/s.
- 140 × 0.01 = 1.4.
- The speed is 1.4 m/s.
140 cm/s = 1.4 m/s
Example 3: 250 cm/s
- Start with 250 cm/s.
- 250 × 0.01 = 2.5.
- The speed is 2.5 m/s.
250 cm/s = 2.5 m/s
Round only at the end. Rounding in the middle of a sum adds small errors that grow.
cm per second to m/s conversion table
| centimetres per second (cm/s) | metres per second (m/s) | km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cm/s | 0.01 m/s | 0.036 km/h |
| 5 cm/s | 0.05 m/s | 0.18 km/h |
| 10 cm/s | 0.1 m/s | 0.36 km/h |
| 20 cm/s | 0.2 m/s | 0.72 km/h |
| 25 cm/s | 0.25 m/s | 0.9 km/h |
| 50 cm/s | 0.5 m/s | 1.8 km/h |
| 75 cm/s | 0.75 m/s | 2.7 km/h |
| 100 cm/s | 1 m/s | 3.6 km/h |
| 140 cm/s | 1.4 m/s | 5.04 km/h |
| 200 cm/s | 2 m/s | 7.2 km/h |
| 250 cm/s | 2.5 m/s | 9 km/h |
| 500 cm/s | 5 m/s | 18 km/h |
| 1,000 cm/s | 10 m/s | 36 km/h |
The highlighted row is the default of the calculator. The last column gives km/h.
A quick mental shortcut for cm per second to m/s
Move the decimal point two places to the left. 250 cm/s becomes 2.5 m/s.
To get km/h, multiply the cm/s by 0.036. 140 cm/s is 5.04 km/h.
Slow motion in numbers
A conveyor at 50 cm/s moves 0.5 m each second, which is 1.8 km/h. A robot arm at 20 cm/s moves 0.2 m every second.
A river current of 100 cm/s is 1 m/s, or 3.6 km/h.
More values at a glance
0.5 centimetres per second is 0.005 metres per second. 2 centimetres per second is 0.02 metres per second. 5 centimetres per second is 0.05 metres per second.
10 centimetres per second is 0.1 metres per second. 25 centimetres per second is 0.25 metres per second. 100 centimetres per second is 1 metres per second.
Each answer is the input times 0.01. You can use the same factor for any value that is not listed here.
The unit sizes
One of the centimetres per second equals 0.01 metres per second. One of the metres per second equals 100 centimetres per second.
If a result looks very large or very small, compare it with these sizes before you use it.
Checking in reverse
Take 0.1 metres per second and divide by 0.01. You get back 10 centimetres per second. If you do not, one of the numbers was typed or rounded wrongly.
More conversions in a row
0.1 centimetres per second is 0.001 metres per second. 0.25 centimetres per second is 0.0025 metres per second. 1 centimetres per second is 0.01 metres per second.
3 centimetres per second is 0.03 metres per second.
7 centimetres per second is 0.07 metres per second. 15 centimetres per second is 0.15 metres per second. 40 centimetres per second is 0.4 metres per second.
60 centimetres per second is 0.6 metres per second.
75 centimetres per second is 0.75 metres per second. 150 centimetres per second is 1.5 metres per second. 200 centimetres per second is 2 metres per second.
500 centimetres per second is 5 metres per second.
Rounding the factor
The factor 0.01 is long. If you cut it to 0.01, 100 centimetres per second becomes 1 metres per second instead of 1.
That is an error of about 0 percent, which is fine for a rough check but not for exact work.
Doubling and scaling
The conversion is a straight line through zero. Double the speed in centimetres per second and the speed in metres per second doubles too.
So 20 centimetres per second is 0.2 metres per second, and 40 centimetres per second is 0.4 metres per second. You can build any value from the ones in the table.
Quick conversion answers
| Conversion | Result |
|---|---|
| 5 cm/s | 0.05 m/s |
| 25 cm/s | 0.25 m/s |
| 50 cm/s | 0.5 m/s |
| 100 cm/s | 1 m/s |
| 250 cm/s | 2.5 m/s |
| 500 cm/s | 5 m/s |
Where this conversion is used
Lab staff and robot makers note slow speeds in cm/s and need m/s for SI formulas.
Fluid and flow studies often record water speed in cm/s, then convert for reports.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Moving the decimal the wrong way. A m/s figure is smaller than the cm/s figure.
- Moving it one place. The factor is 100, so move two places.
- Mixing cm/s with cm/min. They differ by a factor of 60.
- Forgetting the unit. A bare 140 could be cm/s or m/min.
Related converters
Frequently asked questions
How many metres per second is 1 cm/s?
1 cm/s is 0.01 m/s.
How many metres per second is 140 cm/s?
140 cm/s is 1.4 m/s.
How many centimetres per second is 1 m/s?
1 m/s is 100 cm/s.
How many m/s is 100 cm/s?
It is exactly 1 m/s.
How many km/h is 100 cm/s?
It is 3.6 km/h.
Is a cm/s a fast speed?
No. It is a slow speed. 100 cm/s is a brisk walk.
Sources
- CASRAI: The metre (casrai.org)
