Convert Mach (SI Standard) (Ma) to Foot/Second (ft/s) instantly.
About these units
Mach (SI Standard) (Ma)
Mach is a dimensionless measure of speed relative to the speed of sound in a given medium. Mach 1 corresponds to the speed of sound, Mach 2 is twice that speed, and so on. Mach values change with temperature, atmospheric pressure, and altitude because the speed of sound changes with these conditions. Aircraft performance, supersonic flight, rocket design, and shockwave analysis all depend heavily on Mach numbers. Mach is more than just a speed measure—it categorizes aerodynamic regimes: Subsonic (Mach < 1), Transonic (Mach 0.8–1.2), Supersonic (Mach 1–5), Hypersonic (Mach > 5). Mach numbers therefore provide insight into aerodynamic behavior, not just velocity.
Foot/Second (ft/s)
The foot per second is an imperial speed unit used in engineering, ballistics, aviation, and certain sports sciences. It expresses the number of feet traveled per second. Ballistics experts use ft/s to measure bullet velocities and projectile speeds, particularly in countries with strong imperial-unit traditions. Engineers may use ft/s in fluid flow calculations or mechanical system design when working with legacy data. Although ft/s is rarely seen in daily life, it remains relevant in niche disciplines where imperial units dominate, offering a smaller, more precise scale than mph.