Question

Express \(0.00444 \mathrm{~m} / \mathrm{s}\) in kilometers/hour.

Short answer

0.00444 m/s is approximately 0.016 km/h.

Step-by-step solution

Convert Meters to Kilometers

To convert meters to kilometers, we need to remember that 1 kilometer equals 1000 meters. Therefore, to express a value in kilometers when given in meters, we divide it by 1000. So for converting 0.00444 meters to kilometers, we have:\[0.00444 \, \text{m} = \frac{0.00444}{1000} \, \text{km} = 0.00000444 \, \text{km}\]

Convert Seconds to Hours

The next step is to convert the time unit from seconds to hours. There are 3600 seconds in one hour (60 seconds per minute × 60 minutes per hour). Therefore, 1 second has an equivalent of \( \frac{1}{3600} \) hour.So, in order to convert the rate from meters/second to kilometers/hour, we multiply by 3600 to account for seconds turning into hours.

Calculating the Final Conversion

Now, we use the values obtained from the previous steps: the distance in kilometers and the rate adjustment from seconds to hours. The conversion from meters/second to kilometers/hour is generally done by multiplying the meters/second value by 3.6 (\(1000 / 3600 = 0.27778\), the conversion factor when calculated directly involving both meters to kilometers and seconds to hours).We multiply the rate of 0.00444 m/s by 3.6:\[0.00444 \, \text{m/s} \times 3.6 = 0.015984 \, \text{km/h}\]

Rounding to Suitable Precision

Converting 0.00444 m/s to km/h and then rounding it to a meaningful precision for practical purposes, we aim to match similar decimal points or significance as the original number provided: Thus, 0.00444 m/s translates to approximately 0.016 km/h.

Key concepts

Meters to Kilometers Conversion

Converting meters to kilometers is a common task, especially when dealing with larger distances. The rule to remember is that there are 1000 meters in a kilometer. When we want to convert a distance given in meters to kilometers, we must divide the number of meters by 1000.
For instance, if you have 0.00444 meters and you need to express this distance in kilometers, you perform the division:

• 0.00444 m \( \div \) 1000 = 0.00000444 km

This way of conversion helps in expressing larger numbers in simpler, more digestible forms, aiding in clearer understanding and communication in real-world applications.

Seconds to Hours Conversion

Time conversion from seconds to hours might seem confusing at first, but it follows a straightforward principle. There are 3600 seconds in an hour, derived from multiplying 60 seconds in a minute by 60 minutes in an hour.
The trick is to convert seconds into a fraction of an hour for calculations involving time and other units. Here is how you proceed:

• 1 second is \( \frac{1}{3600} \) hours

When you have time values in seconds and need them in hours for calculations like speed, multiplying by 3600 transitions your value seamlessly into an hourly rate.

Speed Conversion

When you're looking to convert a speed given in meters per second (m/s) to kilometers per hour (km/h), you'll effectively combine the processes of both distance and time conversion. Typically, we want to find how many kilometers would be covered in an hour if traveling at a constant speed given in meters per second.
Here's the conversion trick: multiplying the speed in meters per second by 3.6 will give you the speed in kilometers per hour. This factor comes from combining the conversions of meters to kilometers and seconds to hours:

• Total conversion factor = 1000 meters/km \( \div \) 3600 seconds/hour = 3.6

So for a speed of 0.00444 m/s:

• 0.00444 m/s \( \times \) 3.6 = 0.015984 km/h

This tells you that traveling at 0.00444 meters per second is equivalent to going almost 0.016 kilometers in one hour, giving you a practical sense of speed over time.