A knot is a unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour, which is exactly 1.852 kilometers per hour or approximately 1.151 miles per hour. In other units, 1 knot equals about 0.514 meters per second. It is commonly used in maritime and air navigation to measure speed.
Explanation of a Knot
- One knot means traveling one nautical mile (1.852 km or 1.15 miles) in one hour.
- The nautical mile is based on one minute of geographic latitude.
- Historically, knots were measured by counting knots tied in a rope paid out behind a ship over a specific time interval.
Speed Comparisons
- 1 knot ≈ 1.15 miles per hour (mph)
- 1 knot ≈ 1.85 kilometers per hour (km/h)
So, a boat traveling at 10 knots is going 10 nautical miles per hour, roughly equal to 11.5 mph or 18.5 km/h.
