Acceleration Converter
Convert between m/s², ft/s², g and gal.
Results update as you type.
How it works
An acceleration converter restates a rate of change of velocity in a different unit, moving between metres per second squared and feet per second squared, the g-force multiple of standard gravity, and the gal used in geophysics. It reduces whatever you enter to metres per second squared, the SI unit for acceleration, and then scales out to the unit you want, so one mechanism covers vehicle performance figures, ride and roller-coaster forces, seismic and gravity surveys and physics coursework alike. This matters because acceleration is quoted in different units depending on the field. Engineers and physicists use metres per second squared; American engineering often uses feet per second squared; the ride, aerospace and automotive worlds describe forces as multiples of g, where one g is the pull of Earth's gravity; geophysicists mapping tiny variations in gravity use the gal and its thousandth, the milligal. Comparing a car's cornering grip in g against a sensor spec in m/s², or a survey reading in gal against a textbook value, is impossible until every figure sits in one unit. The convert-through-metres-per-second-squared method is used because every acceleration unit has a fixed, defined ratio to that base — one g is exactly 9.80665 m/s², one foot per second squared is 0.3048 m/s², and one gal is exactly 0.01 m/s² — so pivoting through it keeps results exact and needs only one factor per unit. Engineers, physicists, ride designers, geophysicists and students all reach for an acceleration converter whenever a figure arrives in an unfamiliar unit.
Convert to metres per second squared via known factors, then to the target unit
The input is multiplied by its unit's fixed number of metres per second squared to express the acceleration in that base, then divided by the target unit's value to finish the conversion. Because g is defined as exactly 9.80665 m/s², a foot per second squared as 0.3048 m/s², and a gal as one centimetre per second squared, every unit has a constant ratio to the SI base, so chaining through it is exact and stores just one factor per unit.
Source:International System of Units (SI) — NIST
We review all our tools from time to time to ensure accuracy.
Worked example
How to use this calculator
- 1
Enter your values
Enter value, from and to.
- 2
Adjust the options
Fine-tune any options to match your situation.
- 3
Read your result
Converted acceleration updates instantly as you type — no button to press.
Frequently asked questions
How many m/s² is 1 g?
Standard gravity, written g, is defined as exactly 9.80665 metres per second squared, the conventional acceleration a free-falling object experiences at Earth's surface. So a rider pulling 3 g feels about 29.4 m/s². The value is a fixed international standard rather than a local measurement, which is why the converter uses it precisely; actual gravity varies slightly with latitude and altitude.
What is a gal in acceleration?
A gal, named after Galileo, is a unit from the centimetre-gram-second system equal to one centimetre per second squared, or exactly 0.01 metres per second squared. Geophysicists use it, and its thousandth the milligal, to map tiny variations in Earth's gravitational field caused by different rock densities. So one gal is about a thousandth of standard gravity, a convenient size for survey work.
How do I convert ft/s² to m/s²?
Multiply the feet-per-second-squared figure by 0.3048, since one foot is exactly 0.3048 metres. So 32.174 ft/s², the customary value of gravity, becomes about 9.807 m/s². To reverse it, divide the metric figure by 0.3048. The factor is exact because the international foot is defined from the metre, so only display rounding appears in the answer.
What does g-force actually measure?
G-force expresses acceleration as a multiple of standard gravity, so a value of 2 g means twice the acceleration of free fall, about 19.6 m/s². It is popular because people intuitively feel forces relative to their own weight. Pilots, astronauts, race drivers and roller-coaster designers all use g to describe the loads a body experiences during rapid changes in speed or direction.
Why convert acceleration through m/s²?
The metre per second squared is the SI unit for acceleration, so every other acceleration unit has a fixed, exactly defined ratio to it. Using it as the pivot means the converter needs only one factor per unit rather than a separate rule for each pair, keeps every result exact, and matches the unit that physics equations such as Newton's second law expect for calculations.