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To convert from Knot (knot) to Meter per second (m/s), use the following formula:
With is the ratio between the base units Kilometer per hour (km/h) and Mile per hour (mph).
To convert from Knot (knot) to Kilometer per hour (km/h), use the following formula:
With is the ratio between the base units Kilometer per hour (km/h) and Mile per hour (mph).
To convert from Knot (knot) to Millimeter per hour (mm/h), use the following formula:
With is the ratio between the base units Kilometer per hour (km/h) and Mile per hour (mph).
To convert from Knot (knot) to Mile per hour (mph), use the following formula:
To convert from Knot (knot) to Foot per second (ft/s), use the following formula:
To convert from Knot (knot) to Foot per minute (ft/min), use the following formula:
To convert from Knot (knot) to Inch per hour (in/h), use the following formula:
A knot is a unit of speed used almost exclusively in maritime and aviation contexts.
One knot is equal to one nautical mile per hour.
The abbreviation for a knot is "kt" or "kts" for the plural.
The term "knot" dates back to the 17th century, when sailors measured their ship's speed using a tool called a "chip log."
This device worked in a simple but clever way:
The number of knots they counted directly corresponded to the ship's speed in "knots."
A knot isn't a random measurement—it's directly linked to the Earth's circumference. To understand this, you need to know about the nautical mile.
A nautical mile is based on the Earth's coordinates of longitude and latitude. It is equal to exactly one minute (1/60th of a degree) of latitude.
Since a knot is one nautical mile per hour, it integrates seamlessly with all nautical and aeronautical charts.
This makes navigation and distance calculations much simpler for pilots and captains.
On land, we use miles per hour or kilometers per hour, but in the air and at sea, speed is measured in knots — and for good reason.
A knot is one nautical mile per hour, and a nautical mile is tied to the Earth's lines of latitude.
That direct link to the globe enables knots to work seamlessly with navigation charts, simplifying distance, travel time, and course calculations.
Using knots as a universal standard ensures that pilots, sailors, and air traffic controllers all speak the same language—an essential factor for global safety and coordination.