# What is my 0-60 time?

Works out a 0-60 mph time and the average acceleration and distance from the time, the time from an acceleration, or the ideal 0-60 time from power and weight, for any target speed.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/physics/0-60-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/physics/0-60-calculator.json
- Version: a16633ea7098

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (Work out From the time, Target speed 60 mph, 0-60 time 6 s): From 0 to 60 mph takes 6 s at an average of 0.455854 g.

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| find | Work out | Start from the 0-60 time, from an acceleration, or from the power and the weight. |
| v | Target speed | The speed reached from a standstill: 60 mph for a 0-60 time, 100 km/h for 0-100. |
| t | 0-60 time | How long it takes to reach the target speed from a standstill. |
| a | Average acceleration | The average acceleration, in the unit chosen below. |
| au | Acceleration unit | The unit of the acceleration: g (standard gravity), m/s² or ft/s². |
| p | Power | The power that reaches the wheels, taken as constant from the start. |
| m | Weight | The weight (mass) of the car with its driver. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| result | Answer | The value worked out, to 6 significant figures: the acceleration, or the 0-60 time. |
| seconds | 0-60 time (s) | The time from a standstill to the target speed, in seconds. |
| gs | Average acceleration (g) | The target speed ÷ the time, as a multiple of 9.80665 m/s². |
| mps2 | Average acceleration (m/s²) | The target speed ÷ the time, in metres per second squared. |
| fps2 | Average acceleration (ft/s²) | The same acceleration in feet per second squared. |
| distance | Distance covered | How far the car goes while it speeds up: ½ × speed × time at a steady acceleration, ⅔ × speed × time at a steady power. |

## Method

a = v ÷ t and x = ½ v t at a steady acceleration; t = m v² ÷ (2P) and x = ⅔ v t at a steady power (½ m v² = P t).

## Assumptions

- The car starts from a standstill. The time and acceleration modes use the average acceleration, as if it were steady.
- The power mode is an ideal lower bound: all the power goes into speed from the first instant, with no wheelspin, gear changes, drag or drivetrain losses, so real cars take longer.
- Units: 1 mph = 0.44704 m/s; 1 km/h = 1/3.6 m/s; 1 hp = 745.69987158227022 W; 1 PS = 735.49875 W; 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg; g = 9.80665 m/s².

## Worked examples

1. find = accel, v = 26.8224, t = 6 gives mps2 = 4.4704, gs = 0.455854, distance = 80.4672, result = a = 4.4704 m/s² (0.455854 g). Source: OpenStax, University Physics Volume 1, §3.4 Motion with Constant Acceleration (v = v₀ + at; x = ½(v₀ + v)t), https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/3-4-motion-with-constant-acceleration.
2. find = time, v = 26.8224, a = 0.5, au = g gives seconds = 5.470247, result = t = 5.47025 s. Source: OpenStax, University Physics Volume 1, §3.4 Motion with Constant Acceleration (v = v₀ + at; x = ½(v₀ + v)t), https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/3-4-motion-with-constant-acceleration.
3. find = power, v = 26.8224, p = 223,709.961475, m = 1,587.573295 gives seconds = 2.552782, distance = 45.647827. Source: OpenStax, University Physics Volume 1, §7.4 Power (P = W ÷ t) and §7.3 Work-Energy Theorem, https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/7-4-power.
4. find = accel, v = 27.777778, t = 8 gives mps2 = 3.472222, distance = 111.111111. Source: OpenStax, University Physics Volume 1, §3.4 Motion with Constant Acceleration (v = v₀ + at; x = ½(v₀ + v)t), https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/3-4-motion-with-constant-acceleration.

## FAQ

### How do I work out acceleration from a 0-60 time?

Divide the speed by the time. 60 mph is 26.8224 m/s, so a 6-second 0-60 time is an average of 26.8224 ÷ 6 = 4.4704 m/s², or 4.4704 ÷ 9.80665 = 0.456 g.

### How far does a car travel from 0 to 60 mph?

At a steady acceleration the distance is half the top speed times the time. In 6 seconds a car covers ½ × 26.8224 m/s × 6 s = 80.4672 m, exactly 264 ft.

### What 0-60 time does 1 g give?

At a steady 1 g (9.80665 m/s²), 0-60 mph takes 26.8224 ÷ 9.80665 = 2.735 s. Few road cars can hold that much grip from a standstill.

### How does horsepower set the 0-60 time?

At a steady power, the work done P × t equals the kinetic energy gained, ½ m v², so t = m v² ÷ (2P). For 300 hp and 3,500 lb this ideal time is 2.55 s. Real cars are slower because of traction limits, gear changes, drag and drivetrain losses, so treat it as a lower bound.

### Can I work out 0-100 km/h?

Yes. Change the target speed to 100 km/h. A car that reaches 100 km/h (27.78 m/s) in 8 s averages 3.47 m/s², or 0.354 g.

### Is 0-60 acceleration steady?

No. A car pulls hardest in low gears and less as it speeds up. The page gives the average acceleration over the run, which is what the time tells you.

## Sources

- OpenStax, University Physics Volume 1, §3.4 Motion with Constant Acceleration (v = v₀ + at; x = x₀ + ½(v₀ + v)t). https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/3-4-motion-with-constant-acceleration (retrieved 2026-10-03)
- OpenStax, University Physics Volume 1, §7.4 Power (P = dW/dt; W = ΔK by the work-energy theorem). https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/7-4-power (retrieved 2026-10-03)
- NIST SP 811, Appendix B.8 Factors for Units Listed Alphabetically (mile, horsepower 550 ft·lbf/s, pound, standard gravity 9.80665 m/s²). https://www.nist.gov/pml/special-publication-811/nist-guide-si-appendix-b-conversion-factors/nist-guide-si-appendix-b8 (retrieved 2026-10-03)