Speed, Time,

Distance

The Resource Center

Speed = Distance / Time

The Resource Center

A trip to Xanadu

The Resource Center

I am going to Xanadu. I
1
have covered /2 the
3 th
distance in /4 time. By
what % should I increase
my speed to be on time?
Answer: 200 %
The Resource Center

Substituting
hypothetical
numbers make
problem solving
easier.
The Resource Center

If my return journey was

at 100 kmph, twice the
speed of my outward
journey, what was the
average speed?
Answer : 200 / 3 = 66.66 km/h
The Resource Center

Average Speed
= Total Distance / Total Time

The Resource Center

If the max speed that I

can travel is 1.5 times my
average, what is the % of
time I can spend in lunch
on the way back, to reach
in time?
Answer: 33 %
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If I traveled at / of my
average speed and
reached 30 min late, what
is the time that I usually
take?
5

th
6

Answer: 2 1/2 hours

The Resource Center

Referring to previous
slide, if I traveled 250 km,
what is my usual speed?
Answer: 100 km/h
The Resource Center

I travel the 1 hour at an

average speed of 50
nd
kmph and the 2 at 60
kmph, what was the
average speed for the
journey?
st

Answer: 55 km/h
The Resource Center

Average speed, when

time is the same is simply
the average of the
speeds.

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Of 250 km, I travel 125 km

at 50 kmph and the
balance at 60 kmph. What
was the average speed
for the journey?
Answer: 54 /11 km/h
5

The Resource Center

Average speed, when

distance is equal is
2ab / (a+b).

The Resource Center

I overtake a convoy of
trucks which extends for
500 m. It takes me 30
seconds to do it. If I was
traveling at 72 km/h, what
was the convoys speed?
The Resource Center

Relative Speed =
(Sum or Difference) of two
speeds depending on direction
of travel.
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We go river rafting. Our

speed is 30 km/h
downstream and 18 km/h
upstream. What would be
our speed in still water?
Answer: 24 km/h
The Resource Center

Boat speed with stream =

Still water speed + Stream
Speed.

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Boat speed against stream =

Still water speed - Stream
Speed.

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Speed in still water =

Upstream + Downstream speed
2

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I find a train on a parallel

track. I take 5 min to travel
from the guard to engine. I
am travelling at 60 k/h and
the train at 55. What is the
length of the train?
Answer: 5000 / 12 = 416 m
The Resource Center

When I start from X, Ajit

starts from Y. We meet at
1 rd
/3 the distance from X.
What is Ajits speed as a
percentage of mine?
Answer : 200%
The Resource Center

Racing Terminology: What

does a start of 10 m to
another competitor in a
500 m race mean?

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A start of x meters in a y meters

race, means that when one
participant completes y meters,
the slower one has done only
(y -x) meters.
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I give Y a start of 100 m in

a 1000 m race. X gives
me a start of 100 m in the
same race. How much of
a start can X give to Y?
Answer: 190 m
The Resource Center

The drain valve empties

the tank in 1 hour and the
main pipe fills the tank in
20 min. If both are open,
how much time will an
empty tank take to fill up?
Answer: 30 min
The Resource Center

In tank problems, always take

the volume as LCM of filling
times and then solve.

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If there is one more pipe

which fills the tank in 40
min and if all pipes are
open, how much time will
an empty tank take to fill?
Answer: 120 / 7 minutes
The Resource Center

A and I jog on a circular

track of length 500 m. I
run at 3 m/s and A at 5
m/s. We start together
from the same point.
The Resource Center

Where on the track will A

overtake me for the first
time?
At the halfway mark

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Here relative distance =

circumference of the track.
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If the track length were

1500 m, then where on
the track will A overtake
me for the first time?
Still at the halfway mark
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We go bicycling at 6 m/s
and 10 m/s. We start from
the same point. Where will
A overtake me for the first
time?
At the quarter mark
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We practice at a 3000 m
velodrome. I move @ 4
m/s and A @ 7 m/s. A
overtakes me at the same
places. How many such
places are there?
3
The Resource Center

If the velodrome length

was 2000 m, would the
answer change?
No
The Resource Center

If our speeds were 5 m/s

and 8 m/s, would the
answer change?
No
The Resource Center

To conclude, let us
revise what we
learnt.
The Resource Center

Speed =
Distance / Time
The Resource Center

Average Speed =

Total Distance / Total Time

The Resource Center

Average speed, when

time is the same
is simply the average of the
speeds.
The Resource Center

Average speed, when

distance is equal is

2ab / (a+b)
The Resource Center

Boat Speed with stream

Still water speed
+ Stream Speed
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Boat speed against stream

Still water speed

- Stream Speed.
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Speed in still water, given

upstream and
downstream speeds =
Upstream + Downstream speed
2
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Relative Speed =

Relative Distance / Time

The Resource Center

A start of x meters in a y
meters race, means that
when one participant
completes y meters, the
slower one has only done
y -x meters.
The Resource Center

In tank problems, always

take the volume as LCM of
filling times and then solve,
using liters / min.

The Resource Center

In circular track problems,

relative distance =

circumference of the track

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