Quantitative aptitude · lesson 18 of 30 · free

Speed, distance and time — Quantitative aptitude for kids

Speed tells you how far you go in one unit of time. Distance = speed × time, so time = distance ÷ speed. Keep units the same: km/h × 5/18 gives m/s. Average speed is total distance ÷ total time — not the average of the speeds.

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The method

D = S × T — “distance = speed × time; average speed = total distance ÷ total time”

  1. Distance = speed × time; time = distance ÷ speed. Change minutes to hours by ÷ 60.
  2. km/h → m/s: × 5/18. m/s → km/h: × 18/5.
  3. Average speed = total distance ÷ total time.
  4. Same distance there and back at a and b: average speed = 2 × a × b ÷ (a + b).

Use it for: Travel times, sports, trains and buses, and speed questions in Class 7–10 and aptitude tests.

Worked example: Kabir cycles to his school at 10 km/h and comes back by the same road at 15 km/h. What is his average speed for the whole trip (in km/h)? → 12

  1. Same distance both ways: 2 × 10 × 15 ÷ (10 + 15).
  2. 300 ÷ 25 = 12.

Check: If the school is 30 km away: 3 h there + 2 h back = 5 h for 60 km, and 60 ÷ 5 = 12 ✓

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🖨️ Speed Distance Time Worksheet

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