18.6A Velocity
| Unit | m/s | kms/h | mile/h |
| mile / hour m/s km/h | 0.44704 1 0.277778 | 1.60934 3.6 1 | 1 2.23694 0.62137 |
Velocity is the distance travelled in one second (m/s).
The following speeds are approximate and are assumed to be constant and in a straight direction and therefore are also the velocity.
Description marked R are speed records.
18.6B Velocity Comparison
| m/s | km/h | mile/hour | Beaufort Scale | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calm | 0 | <1 | 0 | Smoke rises vertically | |
| Light Air | 0.8 | 3 | 2 | 1 | Smoke rises on angle |
| Man walking | 1.5 | 5.5. | 3.5 | ||
| Light breeze | 2.5 | 9 | 5.6 | 2 | Feel wind on face |
| Gentle breeze | 4.5 | 16 | 10 | 3 | Flags extend |
| Moderate breeze | 7 | 25 | 15.5 | 4 | Raises dust |
| Fresh breeze | 10 | 35 | 22 | 5 | Trees sway, waves |
| Runner 100m R | 10 | 35 | 22 | ||
| Strong breeze | 12.5 | 45 | 28 | 6 | Telegraph wires whistle |
| Racehorse trotting R | 15 | 54 | 33 | ||
| Moderate gale | 15.5 | 56 | 35 | 7 | Difficult to walk |
| Fresh gale | 18.5 | 67 | 42 | 8 | Branches break |
| Racehorse R | 19 | 68 | 42.5 | ||
| Ostrich | 20 | 72 | 45 | ||
| Racing cyclist R | 22 | 79 | 49 | ||
| Strong gale | 23 | 82 | 51 | 9 | Slight building damage |
| Whole gale | 26.5 | 96 | 60 | 10 | Trees uprooted |
| N.Z. Road speed limit | 28 | 100 | 62.5 | ||
| Skier downhill | 28 | 100 | 62.5 | ||
| Storm | 31 | 111 | 69 | 11 | Widespread damage |
| Low wind speed NZS 3604 | 32 | 115 | 71 | ||
| Hurricane | 33.5 | 120 | 75 | 12 | Severe damage |
| Medium wind speed NZS 3604 | 37 | 133 | 83 | ||
| High wind speed NZS 3604 | 44 | 158 | 98 | ||
| AS/NZS 1170 | 45 | 162 | 101 | ||
| Swift - fastest bird | 47 | 169 | 105 | ||
| Very high wind speed NZS 3604 | 50 | 180 | 111 | ||
| AS/NZS 1170 (Cook Strait) | 51 | 184 | 114 | ||
| Moderate cyclone | 55 | 198 | 153 | ||
| Tennis serve R | 66 | 238 | 148 | ||
| Bullet train (Japan) | 69 | 248 | 154 | ||
| Severe tropical cyclone | 70 | 252 | 157 | ||
| TGV express train | 77 | 277 | 172 | ||
| Wind R | 103 | 371 | 230 | ||
| Boeing 747 | 256 | 920 | 572 | ||
| Sound in air | 333 | 1199 | 743 | ||
| Land speed R | 341 | 1228 | 763 | ||
| Rotation of earth at equator | 465 | 1674 | 1040 | ||
| Concorde | 649 | 2336 | 1452 | ||
| 303 Bullet | 792 | 2851 | 1772 | ||
| Lockheed Blackbird R | 981 | 3529 | 2193 | ||
| Moon round the earth | 1000 | 3600 | 2237 | ||
| Sound through steel | 5100 | 18360 | 11408 | ||
| To escape earth’s gravity | 7823 | 28163 | 17500 | ||
| Fastest man has travelled | 11176 | 40234 | 25000 | ||
| Earth round the sun | 29700 | 106920 | 66437 | ||
| Pioneer space probe | 66720 | 240192 | 149248 | ||
| Light and electric waves | 299388000 | 1077614064 | 669600000 | 186,000 miles/sec | |