Convert acceleration units — m/s², ft/s², g-force, Gal and more.
| Unit | Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
| m/s² | Meter/Square Second | 0.01 |
| cm/s² | Centimeter/Square Second | 1 |
| ft/s² | Foot/Square Second | 0.032808399 |
| in/s² | Inch/Square Second | 0.39370079 |
| g | Standard Gravity | 0.0010197162 |
| mG | Millig | 1.0197162 |
Formula: in/s² = Gal × 0.3937
Multiply any Gal value by 0.3937 to get in/s².
Reverse: Gal = in/s² × 2.54
Common acceleration values — factor: 1 Gal = 0.3937 in/s²
| Gal (Gal) | in/s² (in/s²) | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 0.001 Gal | 0.0003937 in/s² | μGal precision |
| 0.01 Gal | 0.003937 in/s² | Sub-mGal |
| 0.1 Gal | 0.03937 in/s² | mGal geodesy |
| 1 Gal | 0.3937 in/s² | 1 Gal |
| 10 Gal | 3.937 in/s² | 10 Gal |
| 98 Gal | 38.58 in/s² | 0.1 g |
| 100 Gal | 39.37 in/s² | 0.102 g |
| 162 Gal | 63.78 in/s² | Moon surface |
| 370 Gal | 145.7 in/s² | Mars surface |
| 490 Gal | 192.9 in/s² | 0.5 g |
| 980.7 Gal | 386.1 in/s² | 1 g Earth |
| 1962 Gal | 772.4 in/s² | 2 g |
| 3700 Gal | 1457 in/s² | ~4 g |
| 9807 Gal | 3861 in/s² | ~10 g |
| 1e+05 Gal | 3.937e+04 in/s² | ~102 g |
1 Gal = 0.3937 in/s².
9.807 m/s² = 1 g = 32.17 ft/s² = 980.7 cm/s² — use as reference.
Multiply result by 2.54 to recover the original Gal value.
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.
The Gal (symbol: Gal) is a unit of acceleration equal to exactly 1 cm/s² = 0.01 m/s², named in honor of Galileo Galilei. It is the standard unit in geodesy and gravimetry, where small variations in Earth's gravitational field are measured.
Earth's mean gravitational acceleration is about 980 Gal (9.80 m/s²). Local variations due to geology, elevation, and latitude span about ±0.5 Gal. Modern superconducting gravimeters can detect variations smaller than 1 μGal (10⁻⁸ m/s²).
Interesting fact: Gravity surveys using Gal measurements can detect underground oil reservoirs, ore deposits, and aquifers because different materials have different densities — and thus different gravitational effects — without any drilling.
Inches per second squared (in/s²) is used in precision mechanical engineering and robotics where displacements are measured in inches. One in/s² = 0.0254 m/s².
In/s² appears in servo motor specifications, CNC machine acceleration profiles, and vibration analysis in US manufacturing. A servo motor might be rated for 500 in/s² maximum acceleration; a hard drive read head accelerates at thousands of in/s².
Interesting fact: Hard drive read/write heads accelerate at up to 550,000 in/s² (1,400 g) and can position themselves across the platter in milliseconds — making them among the fastest-moving precision components in consumer electronics.
Converting Gal to in/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 Gal = 3.937 in/s². Reverse: 1 in/s² = 2.54 Gal. Factor: 1 Gal = 0.3937 in/s².
All conversions use IEEE 754 double-precision arithmetic, accurate to at least 8 significant figures.