39→ Formula 1
How much is a tenth?
"He beat him by a tenth" sounds like nothing. Pick a speed and see how many metres that is on track, with both cars drawn to scale.
0.1 s at 300 km/h8.33 mthe car ahead is this far away
At 300 km/h a car covers 83.3 metres every second, so 0.1 s are 8.33 metres.
The same time at other speeds
| Speed | 0.001 s | 0.01 s | 0.1 s | 1 s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 km/h | 0.02 m | 0.22 m | 2.2 m | 22.2 m |
| 150 km/h | 0.04 m | 0.42 m | 4.2 m | 41.7 m |
| 220 km/h | 0.06 m | 0.61 m | 6.1 m | 61.1 m |
| 300 km/h | 0.08 m | 0.83 m | 8.3 m | 83.3 m |
The formula
Metres = km/h / 3.6 x seconds. Dividing by 3.6 turns km/h into metres per second (1 km = 1,000 m; 1 hour = 3,600 s).
The math
Metres = km/h ÷ 3.6 × seconds
Example: at 300 km/h a car covers 83.3 metres per second: a tenth is 8.3 m.
A tenth at different speeds
| Speed | One tenth |
|---|---|
| 100 km/h | 2.8 m |
| 200 km/h | 5.6 m |
| 300 km/h | 8.3 m |
To put it in context
- A thousandthAt 300 km/h that is 8.3 cm. Qualifying times are measured to the thousandth.
- Your reactionIf you take two tenths to react, at 300 km/h you travel 16.7 m before touching the brake.
Keep going
Questions
How many metres is a tenth in F1?
It depends on speed: at 300 km/h it is 8.3 m, at 200 km/h 5.6 m.
How do I turn km/h into metres per second?
Divide by 3.6. For example, 300 km/h is 83.3 metres per second.