Convert Mile/Second (mi/s) to Mach (SI Standard) (Ma) instantly.
About these units
Mile/Second (mi/s)
A mile per second is an extraordinarily fast speed—3,600 mph—far beyond any ground vehicle. This unit appears primarily in discussions of orbital mechanics, rocket propulsion, and reentry dynamics. Projectiles in theoretical physics or high-energy impact modeling may also be described in miles per second. The unit's infrequent use reflects its specialized nature, but its dramatic magnitude makes it compelling for illustrating the extremes of velocity attainable in space travel and astrophysics.
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.