Calculating Speed Time and Distance

Speed, Distance & Time
Speed, Distance, Time

Calculations
Reminder: How to change minutes into a decimal
15 mins = 0•25 hour

So: 3 hours 15 mins = 3•25 hours


The 3 formulas for Speed, Time & Distance:
Distance Distance
Time = Distance = Speed x Time
Speed = Speed
Time
Solving for Speed Solving for Time Solving for Distance
Remember them from D
this triangle: S T
A windsurfer travelled 28 km in 1 hour 45 mins.
Calculate his speed.
Distance
Speed = D
Time S T
28
=
1•75 1 hour 45 mins
= 16 km/h
Answer: His speed was 16 km / hour

A salesman travelled at an average speed of 50 km/h for
2 hours 30 mins. How far did he travel?
D
Distance = Speed x Time
S T
= 50 x 2•5 2 hour 30 mins
= 125 km
Answer: He travelled 125 km

A train travelled 555 miles at an average speed of
60 mph. How long did the journey take?
Distance D
Time =
Speed S T
555
=
60
= 9•25 hours = 9 hours 15 mins
Answer: It took 9 hours 15 minutes

Units of Speed Time & Distance
Time: seconds(s), minutes (min), hours (hr)

Distance: (meters (m), kilometers (km),
miles, feet
Speed: m/s, km/hr
So if Distance = km and Time = hr, then as

Speed = Distance/ Time; the units of Speed
will be km/ hr.
Speed, Time & Distance Conversions
• To convert from km / hour to m / sec, we multiply by 5 / 18.

So, 1 km / hour = 5 / 18 m / sec
• To convert from m / sec to km / hour, we multiply by 18 / 5.
So, 1 m / sec = 18 / 5 km / hour = 3.6 km / hour
• Similarly, 1 km/hr = 5/8 miles/hour
• 1 yard = 3 feet
• 1 kilometer= 1000 meters = 0.6214 mile
• 1 mile= 1.609 kilometer
• 1 hour= 60 minutes= 60*60 seconds= 3600 seconds
• 1 mile = 1760 yards
• 1 yard = 3 feet
• 1 mile = 5280 feet
• 1 mph = (1 x 1760) / (1 x 3600) = 22/45 yards/sec
• 1 mph = (1 x 5280) / (1 x 3600) = 22/15 ft/sec
• For a certain distance, if the ratio of speeds is a : b, then the
ratio of times taken to cover the distance would be b : a and
vice versa.
Average Speed
Average Speed = (Total distance traveled)/(Total time taken)
Case 1 – When the distance is constant:

Average speed = 2xy/x+y; Where, x and y are
the two speeds at which the same distance has
been covered.
Case 2 – When the time taken is constant:

Average speed = (x + y)/2; Where, x and y are
the two speeds at which we traveled for the same
time.
Inverse Proportionality of Speed & Time
• Speed is inversely proportional to Time when

the Distance is constant.
• If the Speeds are in the ratio m:n then the
Time taken will be in the ratio n:m.
• S is directly proportional to D when T is
constant.
distance will be in the ratio m:n.
There are two methods to solve questions:
• Using Inverse Proportionality

• Using Constant Product Rule
Examples
Q1. A person travels from one place to another at 30

km/hr and returns at 120 km/hr. If the total time taken is
5 hours, then find the Distance.
Solutions:
Here the Distance is constant, so the Time taken will be
inversely proportional to the Speed. Ratio of Speed is
given as 30:120, i.e. 1:4
So the ratio of Time taken will be 4:1.
Total Time taken = 5 hours; Time taken while going is 4
hours and returning is 1 hour.
Hence, Distance = 30x 4 = 120 km
Q.2. While going to office, Ramesh travels at a speed of
30 kmph and on his way back, he travels at a speed of 45
kmph. What is his average speed of the whole journey?
Solution:
When distance travelled is same, then average speed =
2ab / (a+b); (where a and b are two different speeds)
therefore,
The Average Speed = Therefore,
Average Speed = ,
solving this we get 36 kmph.
Q3. Amit and Aman have to travel from Delhi to
Jaipur in their respective cars. Amit is driving at
60 kmph while Aman is driving at 90 kmph. Find
the Time taken by Aman to reach Jaipur if Amit
takes 9 hrs.
Solutions:
As the Distance covered is constant in both cases,
the Time taken will be inversely proportional to
the Speed. In the problem, Speed of Amit and
Aman is in ratio 60: 90 or 2:3.
So the ratio of the Time taken by Amit to that
taken by Aman will be in the ratio 3:2. So if Amit
takes 9 hrs, Aman will take 6 hrs.
Inverse Proportionality of Speed & Time
• Speed is inversely proportional to Time when

the Distance is constant.
• S is inversely proportional to 1/T when D is
constant.

Time taken will be in the ratio n:m.
There are two methods to solve questions:
• Using Inverse Proportionality

• Using Constant Product Rule
Q4. After traveling 50km, a train meets with an accident and
travels at (3/4)th of the usual Speed and reaches 45 min late.
Had the accident happened 10km further on it would have
reached 35 min late. Find the usual Speed?
Solutions:
Using Inverse Proportionality Method
Here there are 2 cases
Case 1: accident happens at 50 km
Case 2: accident happens at 60 km
Difference between two cases is only for the 10 kms between
50 and 60. The time difference of 10 minutes is only due to
these 10 kms.
In case 1, 10 kms between 50 and 60 is covered at (3/4)^th
Speed.
In case 2 , 10 kms between 50 and 60 is covered at usual
Speed.
So the usual Time “t” taken to cover 10 kms , can be
found out as below.
4/3 t – t = 10 mins (since speed = ¾ and its inverse is
4/3)
= > t = 30 mins, d = 10 kms
so usual Speed = 10/30min = 10/0.5 = 20 km/hr
Using Constant Product Rule Method

Let the actual Time taken be T
There is a (1/4)th decrease in Speed, this will result in a
(1/3)rd increase in Time taken as Speed and Time are
inversely proportional
(A 1/x increase in one of the parameters will result in a
1/(x+1) decrease in the other parameter if the
parameters are inversely proportional)
The delay due to this decrease is 10 minutes
Thus 1/3 T= 10 and T=30 minutes or ½ hour
Also, Distance = 10 km
Q.5. Traveling at 3/4th of the original Speed a
train is 10 minutes late. Find the usual Time
taken by the train to complete the journey?
Solutions:
Let the usual Speed be S1 and usual Time be T1.
As the Distance to be covered in both the cases
is same, the ratio of usual Time to the Time
taken when he is late will be the inverse of the
usual Speed and the Speed when he is late
If the Speed is S2 = ¾S1 then the Time taken T2
= 4/3 T1 Given T2 – T1 = 10 =>4/3 T1 – T1 = 10 =>
T1 = 30 minutes.
Meeting Point Questions
If two people travel from two points A and B towards each
other, and they meet at point P.
The total Distance covered by them on the meeting will be
AB.
The Time taken by both of them to meet will be the same.
As the Time is constant, Distances AP and BP will be in the
ratio of their Speed.
Say that the Distance between A and B is d.
If two people are walking towards each other from A and B,

When they meet for the first Time, they together cover a
Distance “d” When they meet for the second Time, they
together cover a Distance “3d” When they meet for the
third Time, they together cover a Distance of “5d”……
Meeting point
A A
B B
Meeting point
Q.6. Ram and Shyam are standing at two ends of a room
with a width of 30 m. They start walking towards each
other along the width of the room with a Speed of 2 m/s
and 1 m/s, respectively. Find the total distance travelled by
Ram when he meets Shyam for the third time.
Solution:
When Ram meets Shyam for the third time, they together
would have covered a Distance of 5d, i.e 5x30m = 150 m.
The ratio of Speed of Ram and Shyam = 2:1, so the total
distance travelled by them will also be in the ratio 2:1 as
the Time taken is constant.
So the Distance travelled by Ram will be 2/3 x 150= 100 m
Q.7. A man travels from his home to office at 4km/hr
and reaches his office 20 min late. If the Speed had been
6 km/hr he would have reached 10 min early. Find the
distance from his home to office.
6 km/hr, 10 mins early
d
4 km/hr, 20 mins late
Solutions:
Let the Distance between home and office =d. Suppose he

reaches the office on Time, the Time taken = x minutes
Case 1: When he reaches office 20 minutes late,

Time taken = x+20
Case 2: when he reaches office 10 minutes early,

Time taken = x-10
As the Distance traveled is the same, the ratio of Speed in
case 1 to the Speed in case 2 will be the inverse of the
Time taken in both cases
Ratio of Speed in both cases = 4:6 = 2:3
Ratio of Time in both cases = 3:2
Therefore
x= 70 minutes
Taking case 1, speed=4=
=> d= 360/60 = 6 km

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Speed, Distance & Time

Speed, Distance, Time

15 mins = 0•25 hour

30 mins = 0•5 hour

45 mins = 0•75 hour

Solving for Speed Solving for Time Solving for Distance

Remember them from D

Answer: His speed was 16 km / hour

= 50 x 2•5 2 hour 30 mins

Answer: He travelled 125 km

= 9•25 hours = 9 hours 15 mins

Answer: It took 9 hours 15 minutes

Time: seconds(s), minutes (min), hours (hr)

So if Distance = km and Time = hr, then as

• To convert from km / hour to m / sec, we multiply by 5 / 18.

Average Speed = (Total distance traveled)/(Total time taken)

Case 1 – When the distance is constant:

Case 2 – When the time taken is constant:

• Speed is inversely proportional to Time when

There are two methods to solve questions:

• Using Inverse Proportionality

Q1. A person travels from one place to another at 30

• Speed is inversely proportional to Time when

• If the Speeds are in the ratio m:n then the

There are two methods to solve questions:

• Using Inverse Proportionality

Using Constant Product Rule Method

If two people are walking towards each other from A and B,

Let the Distance between home and office =d. Suppose he

Case 1: When he reaches office 20 minutes late,

Case 2: when he reaches office 10 minutes early,

Ratio of Speed in both cases = 4:6 = 2:3

Ratio of Time in both cases = 3:2

Taking case 1, speed=4=

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