meterseconds

Meters per second, abbreviated as m/s, is the standard unit of speed or velocity in the International System of Units (SI). It quantifies the distance an object travels in meters during a time interval of one second. This unit is derived from the base units of meter (m) for length and second (s) for time.

Understanding meters per second is fundamental in physics and engineering. For instance, a car traveling at 20 m/s covers a distance of 20 meters every second. This is equivalent to approximately 72 kilometers per hour or 45 miles per hour, illustrating a common conversion. Light travels at an astonishing speed of approximately 299,792,458 m/s in a vacuum, a value crucial in fields like astrophysics and telecommunications.

The concept of velocity, which includes direction, also uses meters per second. For example, a velocity of +10 m/s indicates movement in a positive direction, while -10 m/s indicates movement in the opposite direction. This distinction is vital when analyzing motion and forces. The practical application of m/s spans from calculating the speed of falling objects to designing high-speed transportation systems.