Kilometer per hour to Knot Converter

Kilometer per hour (km/h) is a unit of speed expressing the number of kilometers traveled in one hour. It's one of the most commonly used speed units worldwide, providing an intuitive measure for vehicle speeds and general motion.

Kilometer per hour became widely adopted with the development of the metric system and motorized transportation. It provided a practical scale for measuring vehicle speeds and became the standard speed unit in most countries using the metric system, particularly for road traffic regulations.

Km/h is extensively used for vehicle speed limits, automotive speedometers, weather reporting (wind speeds), and general speed measurements. It's the standard unit for road signs, traffic regulations, and vehicle specifications in most countries worldwide.

A knot (kn) is a unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour, approximately 1.852 kilometers per hour. It's the standard speed unit for maritime and aviation navigation, based on the Earth's geometry and navigation principles.

The knot originated from maritime navigation practices where speed was measured by counting knots on a rope trailing behind a ship. It became formalized as one nautical mile per hour and was adopted as the international standard for maritime and aviation speed measurements.

Knots are universally used in maritime navigation, aviation, meteorology (wind speeds), and oceanography. They're standard for ship speeds, aircraft speeds, wind velocity reporting, and all navigation applications where geographic positioning is important.