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Cycles per Second (cps) - Unit Information & Conversion

Symbol:cps
Plural:cps
Category:Frequency

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What is a Cycles per Second?

Cycles per second (cps) is the historical name for hertz (Hz), measuring the number of complete oscillations or cycles in one second. Replaced by hertz in 1960 but still used in some contexts.

History of the Cycles per Second

Used as the standard frequency unit before 1960. At the 11th General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) in 1960, "cycles per second" was officially replaced with "hertz" to honor Heinrich Hertz. Still appears in older documentation and some specific fields.

Quick Answer

What is Cycles per Second? Cycles per second (cps) is the old name for hertz (Hz). 1 cps = 1 Hz = 1 complete oscillation per second. The term "hertz" replaced "cycles per second" in 1960 to honor physicist Heinrich Hertz. You may see "cps" in older technical documents, but Hz is now standard. 1 cps = 1 Hz exactly. Use our frequency converter for instant conversions.

Definition

1 cps = 1 Hz = 1 cycle per second = 1 complete oscillation per second

History

Before 1960: "Cycles per second" was the standard term

  • Common abbreviations: c/s, c.p.s., cps, ~/s

1960: Renamed to "hertz" (Hz)

  • Honors Heinrich Hertz (1857-1894)
  • Adopted at 11th CGPM (General Conference on Weights and Measures)
  • Simplified terminology and standardized notation

Why the change?

  • Shorter, more convenient
  • Honors a pioneering physicist
  • Consistent with other SI units named after scientists (ampere, watt, volt, etc.)
  • International standardization

Common Uses (Historical & Current)

Historical Technical Documents: Pre-1960 radio, electronics, and acoustics literature. Some Fields Still Use "cycles": Audio engineering may say "cycles" colloquially. Education: Teaching frequency concepts before introducing Hz notation. Older Equipment: Vintage test equipment labeled in cps.

Cycles per Second Conversion Formulas

To Hertz:

1 cps = 1 Hz
Example: 5 cps = 5 hertz

To Millihertz:

1 cps = 1000 mHz
Example: 5 cps = 5000 millihertz

To Kilohertz:

1 cps = 0.001 kHz
Example: 5 cps = 0.005 kilohertz

To Megahertz:

1 cps = 0.000001 MHz
Example: 5 cps = 0.000005 megahertz

To Gigahertz:

1 cps = 1.0000e-9 GHz
Example: 5 cps = 5.0000e-9 gigahertz

To Terahertz:

1 cps = 1.0000e-12 THz
Example: 5 cps = 5.0000e-12 terahertz

To Revolutions per Minute:

1 cps = 60 rpm
Example: 5 cps = 300 rpm

To Revolutions per Second:

1 cps = 1 rps
Example: 5 cps = 5 rps

To Beats per Minute:

1 cps = 60 bpm
Example: 5 cps = 300 bpm

To Radians per Second:

1 cps = 6.283185 rad/s
Example: 5 cps = 31.415927 rad/s

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, exactly the same:

  • 1 cps = 1 Hz
  • 1 kilocycles per second (kcps or kc/s) = 1 kHz
  • 1 megacycles per second (Mcps or Mc/s) = 1 MHz Only difference: Terminology and era
  • cps: Used before 1960
  • Hz: Used from 1960 onwards (current standard) Example conversions:
  • 60 cps = 60 Hz (AC power)
  • 1000 cps = 1 kHz (audio frequency)
  • 100,000 cps = 100 kHz (AM radio range) cps to Hz converter →

Convert Cycles per Second

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Cycles per Second Quick Info

cps
Symbol:cps
Category:Frequency
System:Various
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