Revolutions per Minute to Cycles per Second Converter

Revolutions per minute (rpm) is a unit of rotational frequency representing the number of complete rotations around a fixed axis in one minute. It's one of the most common units for measuring rotational speed in mechanical systems.

RPM became standard with the development of mechanical machinery during the Industrial Revolution. It provided an intuitive way to measure and specify rotational speeds for engines, motors, and machinery, becoming universally adopted in mechanical engineering.

RPM is extensively used in automotive engines, electric motors, machinery, and mechanical systems. It's standard for engine specifications, motor ratings, turntable speeds, and virtually all rotating mechanical equipment specifications.

Cycles per second (cps) is a unit of frequency representing the number of complete cycles of a periodic phenomenon occurring in one second. It's essentially equivalent to hertz but predates the modern SI terminology.

Cycles per second was the original term used to describe frequency before the adoption of the hertz in 1960. It was widely used in early electronics, radio, and physics literature, providing a descriptive term for periodic phenomena.

Cycles per second is rarely used in modern applications, having been replaced by hertz in scientific and technical contexts. It may still appear in historical literature, educational materials, or informal descriptions of frequency.