Meters per Second (m/s)
Kilometers per Hour (km/h)
Miles per Hour (mph)
Knots
Calculated Distance
Understanding the Distance Formula
The fundamental formula for calculating distance is derived from the relationship between speed, time, and distance. This relationship is a cornerstone of physics and everyday calculations.
The Basic Formula:
The most basic form of the distance formula is:
Distance = Speed × Time
This formula holds true when speed and time are measured in compatible units. For example, if speed is in kilometers per hour (km/h), time must be in hours to yield distance in kilometers.
Handling Different Units:
This calculator helps you compute distance even when your speed and time units are not directly compatible. The core principle remains Distance = Speed × Time, but we first need to convert units to a consistent system.
For instance, if you have speed in miles per hour (mph) and time in minutes, you would typically convert the time to hours before multiplying:
15 minutes = 0.25 hours
Distance = 60 mph × 0.25 hours = 15 miles
Unit Conversions Used in this Calculator:
Time: Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Days
Speed: Meters per Second (m/s), Kilometers per Hour (km/h), Miles per Hour (mph), Knots
The calculator internally converts the input time to seconds and the input speed to meters per second (m/s) to perform the calculation accurately, and then presents the distance in meters. You can then manually convert meters to your desired unit (e.g., kilometers, miles) using standard conversion factors.
Common Distance Unit Conversions (from Meters):
1 Meter = 0.001 Kilometers
1 Meter = 0.000621371 Miles
1 Meter = 3.28084 Feet
When to Use This Calculator:
Travel Planning: Estimate how far you can travel given a certain speed and duration.
Navigation: Calculate distances based on speed and time estimates.
Everyday Scenarios: Figure out travel time for a known distance and speed.
By providing a simple interface to handle different units, this calculator aims to make distance calculations straightforward and accessible.
function calculateDistance() {
var speedInput = document.getElementById("speed");
var timeInput = document.getElementById("time");
var timeUnitSelect = document.getElementById("timeUnit");
var speedUnitSelect = document.getElementById("speedUnit");
var resultDiv = document.getElementById("result");
var distanceResultSpan = document.getElementById("distanceResult");
var speed = parseFloat(speedInput.value);
var time = parseFloat(timeInput.value);
var timeUnit = timeUnitSelect.value;
var speedUnit = speedUnitSelect.value;
if (isNaN(speed) || isNaN(time) || speed < 0 || time < 0) {
alert("Please enter valid positive numbers for speed and time.");
return;
}
var timeInSeconds = 0;
switch (timeUnit) {
case "seconds":
timeInSeconds = time;
break;
case "minutes":
timeInSeconds = time * 60;
break;
case "hours":
timeInSeconds = time * 3600;
break;
case "days":
timeInSeconds = time * 86400;
break;
}
var speedInMps = 0; // meters per second
switch (speedUnit) {
case "mps":
speedInMps = speed;
break;
case "kph":
speedInMps = speed * 1000 / 3600;
break;
case "mph":
speedInMps = speed * 1609.34 / 3600; // 1 mile = 1609.34 meters
break;
case "knots":
speedInMps = speed * 1852 / 3600; // 1 knot = 1 nautical mile per hour, 1 nautical mile = 1852 meters
break;
}
var distanceInMeters = speedInMps * timeInSeconds;
// Displaying the result in meters, with options for conversion mentioned in the text
distanceResultSpan.textContent = distanceInMeters.toFixed(2) + " meters";
resultDiv.style.display = "block";
}