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How to Find MPH in Seconds

Miles per hour, or mph, is a measurement indicating the amount of distance in miles covered over the span of one hour. A second is simply a measurement of time. One cannot be converted directly into the other, but because seconds and hours are both units of time, any distance covered in the span of an hour can be converted to a distance covered over the span of a second or vice versa. All that is required is a simple grasp of time telling and basic mathematical skills.

Things You'll Need

  • Calculator
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Instructions

    • 1

      Divide the original speed in miles per hour by 60. This converts mph into miles per minutes (because there are 60 minutes in an hour). For example, if a car is traveling 90 miles per hour, you would divide 90 by 60 and get 1.5 miles per minute.

    • 2

      Divide the miles per minute calculation by 60. This will convert miles per minute into miles per second (60 seconds in a minute). Using the example in Step 1, you would divide the 1.5 miles per minute by 60, giving you 0.025 miles per second.

    • 3

      Check your work by multiplying the miles per second number by 3,600 (60 seconds times 60 minutes). The answer to this equation should be the original speed that you were working with. For future problems, you can simply divide the original mph reading by 3,600 to get miles per second, but it is important that you understand where the 3,600 number comes from.

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