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Speed

Just how fast is 0.01 metres per second?

Slow motion

0.01 m/s

Scale

DISTANCE IN ONE SECOND

0.01 metres per second

The quantity is exact as entered.

0.01 m/sSpeed
0

1 cm in 1 s

Snail crawling

Snail crawling is the slow movement of a snail as it glides along a surface using its muscular foot.

0.001 m/sSpeed
0

1 mm in 1 s

Each track shows distance covered in the same second. The small illustrations identify the movers; their sizes are schematic.

A little perspective

0.01 metres per second is about 10 times the speed of a crawling snail.

Measurements, assumptions & sources +

0.01 metres per second

Speed: 0.01 m/s; definition.

The quantity is exact as entered. Comparisons use the clearly stated specimen, model or nominal measurement.

NIST — SI conversion factors

Snail crawling

Speed: 0.001 m/s; example.

A chosen 1 mm/s crawl. Species, surface and conditions affect pace.

Defined examples — our methodology

The marked speed is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.

Measurement details

Why these numbers?

Compare 0.01 metres per second with the speed of a crawling snail. The notes below explain how each value was chosen.

0.01 metres per second

0.01 m/s

Speed · definition

The quantity is exact as entered. Comparisons use the clearly stated specimen, model or nominal measurement.

Snail crawling

0.001 m/s

Speed · example

A chosen 1 mm/s crawl. Species, surface and conditions affect pace.

Comparing
Speed ↔ Speed
Relative size
0.01 metres per second is about 10 times the speed of a crawling snail. 0.01 metres per second is approximately 900% greater than the speed of a crawling snail.

How to read the visual

The diagram uses the recorded measurements. Details outside the marked spans do not set the scale.

  • The speed of a crawling snail: This is an illustrative comparison value, not a claim that every example is the same.

Speed is distance per unit time; it does not specify the total distance travelled.

0.036 km/hkilometres per hour
0.022369 mphmiles per hour
Mach 2.9155 × 10⁻⁵Mach
3.3356 × 10⁻⁹% of c (3.3356 × 10⁻¹¹c)speed of light

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