Convert acceleration units — m/s², ft/s², g-force, Gal and more.
| Unit | Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
| m/s² | Meter/Square Second | 9.80665 |
| cm/s² | Centimeter/Square Second | 980.665 |
| ft/s² | Foot/Square Second | 32.174049 |
| in/s² | Inch/Square Second | 386.08858 |
| Gal | Gal (cm/s²) | 980.665 |
| mG | Millig | 1000 |
Formula: cm/s² = Standard Gravity × 980.7
Multiply any Standard Gravity value by 980.7 to get cm/s².
Reverse: Standard Gravity = cm/s² × 0.00102
Common acceleration values — factor: 1 g = 980.7 cm/s²
| Standard Gravity (g) | cm/s² (cm/s²) | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 0.0001 g | 0.09807 cm/s² | 100 μg sensor |
| 0.001 g | 0.9807 cm/s² | 1 mg seismic |
| 0.01 g | 9.807 cm/s² | 10 mg vibration |
| 0.1 g | 98.07 cm/s² | 0.1 g elevator |
| 0.165 g | 161.8 cm/s² | Moon surface |
| 0.38 g | 372.7 cm/s² | Mars surface |
| 0.5 g | 490.3 cm/s² | 0.5 g hard braking |
| 1 g | 980.7 cm/s² | 1 g Earth surface |
| 2 g | 1961 cm/s² | 2 g hard cornering |
| 3 g | 2942 cm/s² | 3 g astronaut launch |
| 4 g | 3923 cm/s² | 4 g aerobatics |
| 5 g | 4903 cm/s² | 5 g fighter jet |
| 9 g | 8826 cm/s² | 9 g max sustained pilot |
| 10 g | 9807 cm/s² | 10 g stunt |
| 100 g | 9.807e+04 cm/s² | 100 g crash |
g × 980.665 = cm/s² = Gal.
1 g = 980.665 Gal = 9.807 m/s².
cm/s² ÷ 980.665 = g.
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.
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.
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.
Converting Standard Gravity to cm/s² 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 g = 9807 cm/s². Reverse: 1 cm/s² = 0.00102 g. Factor: 1 g = 980.7 cm/s².
All conversions use IEEE 754 double-precision arithmetic, accurate to at least 8 significant figures.