Acceleration Converter
Convert between m/s², ft/s², g-force, and other acceleration units
Conversion Formula:
Multiply by 0.101972
Common Conversions
Understanding Acceleration Units
Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity over time. In physics, it is a vector quantity with magnitude and direction. The standard unit of acceleration in the International System of Units (SI) is meters per second squared (m/s²).
| System | Unit | Relation to SI (m/s²) |
|---|---|---|
| SI | Meter per second squared (m/s²) | 1 |
| Imperial | Foot per second squared (ft/s²) | 0.3048 |
| CGS | Galileo (Gal) | 0.01 |
| Gravitational | G-force (g) | 9.80665 |
Common Acceleration Measurements
Celestial Bodies
- Earth's gravity at sea level: 9.80665 m/s² (1 g)
- Moon's gravity: 1.625 m/s² (0.166 g)
- Mars gravity: 3.721 m/s² (0.379 g)
- Jupiter gravity: 24.79 m/s² (2.528 g)
- Sun's surface gravity: 274 m/s² (27.94 g)
Transportation
- Typical car acceleration: 3-4 m/s² (0.3-0.4 g)
- Sports car acceleration: 7-10 m/s² (0.7-1.0 g)
- Formula 1 car acceleration: ~24 m/s² (~2.5 g)
- Commercial aircraft takeoff: ~5 m/s² (0.5 g)
- Fighter jet acceleration: 70-90 m/s² (7-9 g)
Space & Aviation
- Space shuttle launch: ~29 m/s² (~3 g)
- Rocket launch peak: ~39 m/s² (~4 g)
- Re-entry deceleration: ~60 m/s² (~6 g)
- Ejection seat: ~150 m/s² (~15 g)
- Human max sustained tolerance: ~50 m/s² (~5 g)
Technology & Science
- Typical smartphone accelerometer range: +/-20-160 m/s² (+/-2-16 g)
- Elevator acceleration: ~2 m/s² (0.2 g)
- Roller coaster: 30-40 m/s² (3-4 g)
- Centrifuge training: up to 98 m/s² (10 g)
- Car crash peak deceleration: 300-800 m/s² (30-80 g)
Acceleration Concepts
Types of Acceleration
- Uniform acceleration: Constant rate of change (e.g., free fall)
- Non-uniform acceleration: Varying rate of change
- Centripetal acceleration: Direction change in circular motion
- Tangential acceleration: Change in speed in circular motion
- Angular acceleration: Rate of change of angular velocity
- Gravitational acceleration: Due to gravitational force
- Deceleration/negative acceleration: Decrease in velocity
Practical Applications
- Vehicle performance measurement and safety testing
- Astronaut training and space mission planning
- Structural engineering and earthquake resistance
- Sports science and athletic performance analysis
- Smartphone orientation detection and motion sensing
- Airbag deployment systems in vehicles
- Vibration analysis in mechanical systems
- Seismology for earthquake measurement
Key Formulas
Basic Acceleration: a = (v2 - v1) / t
Where a is acceleration, v1 is initial velocity, v2 is final velocity, and t is time
Acceleration from Force: a = F / m
Where a is acceleration, F is force, and m is mass (Newton's Second Law)
Centripetal Acceleration: a = v² / r
Where a is acceleration, v is velocity, and r is radius of circular path
Distance with Constant Acceleration: d = v1t + 1/2at²
Where d is distance, v1 is initial velocity, t is time, and a is acceleration
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Visual Comparison
9.80 m/s²
9.80 m/s² equivalent
Similar to: Earth gravity
Standard acceleration due to gravity at Earth's surface
1.00 g-force
9.80 m/s² equivalent
Similar to: Earth gravity
Standard acceleration due to gravity at Earth's surface
Moderate Acceleration Examples
- Quick jog start (3-4 m/s²)
- Average car acceleration (4-5 m/s²)
- Sports car moderate acceleration (7-9 m/s²)
Mobile tip: Swipe left or right on the unit dropdown to quickly change units, or use the arrow buttons
About the Acceleration Converter
Convert between m/s², ft/s², g-force, and other acceleration units All conversions run instantly in your browser and nothing you enter is sent to a server.
Common Conversion Formulas
| From | To | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Meters per second squared (m/s²) | Feet per second squared (ft/s²) | ft/s² = m/s² × 3.28084 |
| Meters per second squared (m/s²) | G-force (g) | g = m/s² × 0.101972 |
| Meters per second squared (m/s²) | Galileo (Gal) | Gal = m/s² × 100 |