Convert acceleration units — m/s², ft/s², g-force, Gal and more.
| Unit | Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
| m/s² | Meter/Square Second | 0.01 |
| ft/s² | Foot/Square Second | 0.032808399 |
| in/s² | Inch/Square Second | 0.39370079 |
| g | Standard Gravity | 0.0010197162 |
| Gal | Gal (cm/s²) | 1 |
| mG | Millig | 1.0197162 |
Formula: Standard Gravity = cm/s² × 0.00102
Multiply any cm/s² value by 0.00102 to get Standard Gravity.
Reverse: cm/s² = Standard Gravity × 980.7
Common acceleration values — factor: 1 cm/s² = 0.00102 g
| cm/s² (cm/s²) | Standard Gravity (g) | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 0.001 cm/s² | 1.020e-06 g | μGal precision |
| 0.01 cm/s² | 1.020e-05 g | Sub-mGal |
| 0.1 cm/s² | 0.000102 g | mGal geodesy |
| 1 cm/s² | 0.00102 g | 1 Gal = 1 cm/s² |
| 10 cm/s² | 0.0102 g | 10 Gal |
| 98 cm/s² | 0.09993 g | 0.1 g |
| 100 cm/s² | 0.102 g | 0.102 g |
| 162 cm/s² | 0.1652 g | Moon surface |
| 370 cm/s² | 0.3773 g | Mars surface |
| 490 cm/s² | 0.4997 g | 0.5 g |
| 980.7 cm/s² | 1 g | 1 g Earth |
| 1962 cm/s² | 2.001 g | 2 g |
| 3700 cm/s² | 3.773 g | ~4 g |
| 9807 cm/s² | 10 g | ~10 g |
| 1e+05 cm/s² | 102 g | ~100 g |
cm/s² ÷ 980.665 = g.
980.665 cm/s² = 1 g = 9.807 m/s².
g × 980.665 = cm/s².
Specifies aircraft and spacecraft acceleration loads in g and m/s² for structural design and pilot tolerance.
Measures vehicle acceleration performance (0–100 km/h) and braking deceleration in m/s² and g.
Uses Gal and mGal to measure variations in Earth's gravitational field for mineral exploration.
Programs joint acceleration limits in m/s² or in/s² for servo motor control and trajectory planning.
Calculates seismic acceleration loads (in g or m/s²) for earthquake-resistant building design.
Measures athlete acceleration performance using accelerometers reporting in g or m/s².
Centimeters per second squared (cm/s²) is the CGS unit of acceleration, equal to exactly 0.01 m/s². The Gal (named after Galileo) is exactly 1 cm/s² and is the standard unit in gravimetry and geophysics.
Gravimeters measure local variations in Earth's gravitational acceleration in milligals (mGal) and microgals (μGal). Earth's gravity varies by about ±0.5 Gal (50 cm/s²) between the equator and poles due to Earth's shape and rotation.
Interesting fact: The Gal unit honors Galileo Galilei, who first quantified free-fall acceleration in the late 16th century using inclined planes and water clocks — without any precise timing instruments, he determined that distance fallen is proportional to the square of time.
Standard gravity (g) is defined as exactly 9.80665 m/s², representing the nominal gravitational acceleration at Earth's surface (sea level, 45° latitude). It was adopted as a standard by the International Committee on Weights and Measures (CIPM) in 1901.
G-force (multiples of g) is the most intuitive acceleration unit for human experience: commercial aircraft cruise at about 1g; fighter jet maneuvers at 4–9g; astronaut launch at 3g; roller coasters at 2–6g. Human loss of consciousness (G-LOC) occurs at about 5–9g sustained.
Interesting fact: At 0g (weightlessness), the human vestibular system becomes confused within seconds — causing space sickness in about half of all astronauts. At the Moon's surface, gravity is 0.165g; on Mars 0.38g; on Jupiter's surface, about 2.5g.
Converting cm/s² to Standard Gravity is common in aerospace, automotive, geophysics, and robotics. Physics and SI engineering use m/s²; US aerospace uses ft/s²; geophysics uses Gal (cm/s²); and g-force is universal. Key anchor: Earth surface gravity = 9.807 m/s² = 1 g = 32.17 ft/s² = 980.7 Gal.
Quick reference: 10 cm/s² = 0.0102 g. Reverse: 1 g = 980.7 cm/s². Factor: 1 cm/s² = 0.00102 g.
All conversions use IEEE 754 double-precision arithmetic, accurate to at least 8 significant figures.