Convert between units
Change miles per hour to metres per second (or any unit) by multiplying by conversion factors.
To convert units, multiply by fractions that equal 1. For 60 miles per hour: 1 mile is 1609.344 metres and 1 hour is 3600 seconds, so 60 × 1609.344 ÷ 3600 = 26.8224 m/s.
Always write the units next to the factors and cancel them. If the units left over are the ones you wanted, the arithmetic is probably right.
- The Units lab does conversions for you. Open it from the Reference library, type 60 mi/h to m/s, and it shows the answer with its unit and the SI dimension.
- The Chemistry toolkit has a Units tab as well: choose a quantity such as length or mass, a value, and the from and to units.
Classic Graphing 84
Start on the main screen: Press 2nd then mode (QUIT) to get back to the home screen. Pressing clear on a menu also backs out of it.
Type 60 × 1609.344 ÷ 3600. The mile factor goes on top and the seconds factor underneath.
60×1609.344÷3600Press enter.
enter
You should see26.8224
Natural Scientific 991
Start on the main screen: Press MENU, then 1 (Calculate) to return to the main calculation screen. AC clears the line you are on.
Type 60 × 1609.344 ÷ 3600.
60×1609.344÷3600Press = . If you see a fraction, press S⇔D for the decimal.
=S⇔D
You should see26.8224
RPN Scientific 15
Start on the main screen: There is no menu to leave. Press the back arrow to clear a number you are typing, or CLx (g then back arrow) to clear the X register.
Key in 60 ENTER 1609.344 and press × .
60ENTER1609.344×Key in 3600 and press ÷ .
3600÷
You should see26.8224
Tips
- Temperatures are not just factors: °F = °C × 9/5 + 32. Convert them with a formula.
- Squared and cubed units need squared and cubed factors. 1 m² is 10⁴ cm², not 10².
Related guides
- Use a physical constant in a formulaEnter constants such as the speed of light correctly, store them for reuse, and see them in the Units lab.
- Show answers in engineering notationDisplay results with powers of ten that are multiples of three, like 47 × 10³ for 47 kilo-units.
- Convert between degrees and radiansChange an angle from degrees to radians and back with the calculator.