Speed Time and Distance questions are an important topic to be covered in competitive exams preparation be it for IBPS Clerk, PO, RRB, SO, or SBI Clerk or PO. The number of questions and the complexity of questions vary from exam to exam every year.
Speed Time and Distance questions are complex in nature and require an understanding of Numbers Systems, Squares, and Square roots, Cubes and Cube roots, Average, and Math Tables. Example questions and practice questions on Speed Time and Distance are given in this article.
Nowadays, questions in exams are mixed with multiple concepts and it requires practice and a deep understanding of basic concepts along with quickly identifying numbers.
Table of Contents
What is Speed?
Speed is calculated when anybody is moving in a direction and travels a certain distance at a certain time. In other words, we can say that Speed is determined by an object which travels x distance in y time.
The Formula of Speed Time and Distance
Below is the formula for the calculation of Speed Time and Distance:
Speed = Distance / Time
Distance = Speed x Time
Time = Distance / Speed
For Same Speed
When two objects are traveling at the same speed or when speed is constant in covering different distances. At x speed, Distance D1 is covered in T1 time and at the same speed Distance D2 is covered in T2 time. Then Speed Time and Distance formula become as below:
D1 / T1 = D2 / T2
For Same Time
At a certain time when Distance D1 is covered with Speed of S1 and at the same time when Distance D2 is covered with Speed S2. Then Speed Time and Distance formula become as below:
D1 / S1 = D2 / S2
For Same Distance
When a certain distance is covered in Time T1 is covered with Speed of S1 and the same distance is covered in Time T2 is covered with Speed S2. Then Speed Time and Distance formula become as below:
S1 x T1 = S2 x T2
Average Speed Formula
For Whole Journey
When a journey is completed by covering different Distances at different times and we have to calculate the average speed for the whole journey. Below is the formula for average speed:
Average Speed = Total Distance Covered / Total Time Taken
Return Starting Point
When a person travels from a point ‘X’ to ‘Y’ at a certain speed S1 and travels back to ‘X’ from ‘Y’ at speed S2 then the average speed of the whole journey is calculated as per the below formula:
Average Speed = (2 x S1 x S2) / (S1 + S2)
Unit of Speed Time and Distance
Unit of Speed Time and Distance vary from question to question but should be the same within the question. If within question Unit of Speed Time and Distance is not the same then before solving we need to convert them to the same Unit.
Unit of Speed
Unit of Speed = KM / Hour (kmph)
or
Unit of Speed = Meter / Second (mps)
To convert the speed of Kilometre per hour to Metre Per Second we need to multiply that unit by 5/18.
To convert the speed of Metres per Second to Kilometre per Hour we need to multiply that unit by 18/5.
Unit of Time
Unit of Time is Hour or Seconds.
To convert Hours into Seconds we need to multiply Hours by 3600 seconds. For Example, 2 Hours = 7200 seconds.
Unit of Distance
Unit of Distance is Kilometre or Metre.
To convert KiloMetre into Metre we need to multiply KiloMetre by 1000 Metres. For Example, 2 Kilometres = 2000 Metres.
Examples of Speed Time and Distance
Below are the examples of Speed Time and Distance:
Example 1: At what speed car should travel to cover 500 KMs in 20 Hours?
Solution 1: Substituting values in speed formula:
Distance = 500 KMs
Time = 20 Hrs
=> Speed = Distance / Time
=> Speed = 500 / 20
=> Speed = 25 kmph.
Example 2: Find the distance covered by Train in 12 Hrs at speed of 60 kmph?
Solution 2: Substituting values in speed formula:
Speed = 60 kmph
Time = 12 Hrs
=> Distance = Speed x Time
=> Distance = 12 x 60
=> Distance = 720 KMs.
Example 3: At what time distance of 600 KMs to be covered at the speed of 24 kmph?
Solution 3: Substituting values in speed formula:
Speed = 24 kmph
Distance = 12 Hrs
=> Time = Distance / Speed
=> Time = 600 / 24
=> Time = 25 hrs.
Example 4: A person covers 300 KMs in 15 hrs and the next 400 KMs in 25 hrs and 500 KMs in 10 hrs. Find the average speed of a person?
Solution 4: Substituting values in average speed formula:
Total Time = 15 + 25 + 10 = 50 Hrs
Total Distance = 300 + 400 + 500 = 1200 KMs
=> Average Speed = Total Distance / Total Time
=> Average Speed = 1200 / 50
=> Average Speed = 24 kmph.
Example 5: A person from home to the office goes with a speed of 20 kmph and returns back with a speed of 30 kmph.
Solution 5: Substituting values in the average speed formula:
Speed S1 = 20 kmph.
Speed S2 = 30 kmph.
=> Average Speed = (2 x S1 x S2) / (S1 + S2)
=> Average Speed = (2 x 20 x 30) / (20 + 30)
=> Average Speed = 1200 / 50
=> Average Speed = 24 kmph.
Practice questions on Speed Time and Distance
Below are the practice questions on Speed Time and Distance:
- At what speed, a distance of 600 km can be covered in 10 Hrs?
- A man traveling by bicycle covers 20000 meters in 5 Hrs. Find the speed?
- SpaceCraft travels in a straight line with a speed of 5000 kmph. How much distance it’ll cover in 5 days?
- An asteroid is 1Lakh KM far from Mars if the speed of the Asteroid is 10000 kmph. After what time it’ll strike Mars?
- At a certain speed, 60 KMs distance is covered in 12 hrs and at that same speed, 75 KMs distance will be covered?
- A man covers a certain distance in 15 hrs at the speed of 10 kmph. What should be new speed if he wants to cover the same distance in 5 Hrs?
- In a certain time, 80 KMs distance is covered with the speed of 16 kmph then at the same time duration what distance will be covered at the speed of 100 kmph?
- A person covers a total distance of 5000 KMs and 1/5 part of his journey by Bus with the speed of 50 kmph, 2/5 part by train at speed of 250 kmph, and the remaining part by plane at speed of 500 kmph. Find the average speed of his travel?
- Find the speed of Train which covers 65000 meters in 7200 seconds?
- Find the distance covered by car at speed of 60 kmph in 90000 seconds?
Final Words
Practicing the above questions for Speed Time and Distance is not the end of your practice, but it’s a start of a new journey to apply logic on Speed Time and Distance solutions with multiple approaches in a right and faster way.
For cracking competitive exams one must practice Speed Time and Distance without a calculator is a must. At last, during the exam, if a solution for Speed Time and Distance question cannot be found easily then mark that question to revisit and move ahead instead of wasting time and energy.