TIME SPEED AND DISTANCE – LECTURE 1

 Time, Speed, and Distance

 Important Distance and Time Conversions
 Average Speed
 Relative Speed and Trains

The most important relationship between time, speed, and distance is

Distance
Speed=
Time

Important Distance and Time Conversions

1 km = 1000 meter
1 meter = 100 cm
1 hour = 60 min
1 min = 60 sec
1 hour = 3600 sec

km 1000 m 5 m
1 = =
hr 3600 s 18 s

m
1 =
( 1000 )
1
km
=
18 km
s 1 5 hr
( )hr
3600

Concept Check:

Ex.1. What is the distance covered by a car traveling at a speed of 40 kmph in 15 minutes?
Solution:
40∗15
Distance=Speed∗Time= =10 km
60
Here, time is given in minutes, whereas the speed is in kmph. Therefore, either speed will have to be
expressed as km/min or time will have to be expressed in hours to apply the relationship.

Ex.2. Traveling at a speed of 50 Kmph, how long will it take to travel 60 km?
Solution:
Distance 60
Time= = =1.2hr =1 hr 12 min
Speed 50
While converting decimal hours into minutes, the figure is to be multiplied by 60 and not by 100

Ex.3. A man covers 75 km in 90 minutes. What is his speed in km/h?

Solution:
Distance 75 75∗2
Speed= = = =50 km/h
Time 90 3
( )
60
Since, time is given in minutes and the required answer is in km/h, we need to convert minutes into
hours by dividing by 60.

DST Triangle and Proportionality

1
When Distance is constant , Speed ∝ If ratio of speed is x:y, then ratio of time is y:x
Time

When Speed is constant , Distance ∝Time If ratio of distance is x:y, then ratio of time is x:y

When Time is constant , Speed ∝ Distance If ratio of speed is x:y, then ratio of distance is x:y

Concept Check
Ex.1. Walking 5/6 th of his usual speed, Mike reached his destination 10 minutes late. Find his usual
time, and the time taken on this occasion?
Solution 1: Let the usual speed be s km/hr and usual time be t hours
5 10
Speed on this occasion is s and the time taken is t+ hours
6 60
Since the distance traveled on both occasions is the same,
 5 10
s∗t= s∗(t + )
6 60
5
Solving for t, we get t= hours =50 min, and the time taken on this occasion = 50 + 10 = 60 minutes
6

5
Solution 2: Speed on this occasion = of usual speed
6
6
Time taken on this occasion = of usual time
5
6 1
So, of usual time – usual time = 10 min ⇒ of usual time = 10 min ⇒ Usual time = 5×10 = 50 minutes
5 5
time taken on this occasion =50+10 = 60 minutes
s 6
¿ =
Solution 3: The ratio between the usual speed to the speed on this occasion
()
5
6
s
5

5
Hence, the ratio of the usual time taken to the time taken on this occasion ¿
6
As the difference in both the times is 10 minutes, the usual time taken = 5×10 = 50 minutes and the time
taken on this occasion = 6×10 = 60 minutes

Average Speed

Total Distance
Average Speed=
Total Time

Case 1: When time is same for two different speeds

The average speed of traveling at two different speeds (a and b) for the same time duration is just the
simple average of these two speeds

a+ b
Average speed=
2

Case 2: When distance is same for two different speeds

Let the two speeds be a km/hr and b km/hr and the distance traveled at each of these speeds be d km.
d d
Time taken to cover d km at ‘a’ km/hr = and at ‘b’ km/hr =
a b
d d bd+ ad d ( a+b )
Total time taken = + = =
a b ab ab
Total distance covered = 2d
2d 2 ab
=
Therefore, average speed = d ( a+ b ) a +b
ab

2 ab
Average speed=
a+ b
Concept Check
Ex.1. A motorist travels one hour at an average speed of 45 kmph and the next hour at an average speed
of 65 kmph. Then his average speed is?
Solution 1: The total distance traveled by the motorist in these two hours = 65 + 45 = 110 km and he has
taken two hours. Therefore, his average speed = 55 kmph
Solution 2: As time travelled is same for both speeds, average speed = (45 + 65) / 2 = 55 kmph

Ex.2. On my way from the office to the class, I drive at 30 kmph and on the return journey I drive at 45
kmph. What is my average speed of travel?
Solution 1: Let the distance between the office and class be d km
Time taken on my onward journey = d/30 hours and time taken on my return journey = d/45 hours
d d d
The total time taken for my onward and return Journey = + = hours
30 45 18
The total distance traveled both ways = 2d km
2d
¿
Average speed =
( )
d = 36 kmph
18
2ab 2∗30∗45
Solution 2: As distance travelled is same for both speeds, average speed = = = 36 kmph
a+b 30+45

Relative Speed and Trains

Let the speed of two objects be a and b

 When both objects are moving in same direction, their relative speed is the difference between
the two speeds ⇒ Relative speed = a - b (considering a > b)
 When both objects are moving in opposite direction, their relative speed is the sum of the two
speeds ⇒ Relative speed = a + b

Important Points:
 If a train crosses a stationary man / lamp post / sign post / then the distance travelled is the
length of the train
 If a train crosses a platform / bridge then the distance traveled is the length of the train +
length of the object (platform / bridge)
 If a train crosses a car / bicycle / a moving man - in these cases, the relative speed between the
train and the object is taken depending on the direction of movement of other object relative to
the train and the distance traveled is the length of the train
 If a train crosses another train which is moving at a particular speed in the same or opposite
direction – in these cases, the other train is moving as well and relative speed between them is
taken depending on the direction of the other train and distance travelled is the sum of the
lengths of both the trains

Concept Check
Ex 1: A train traveling at 60 km/hr crosses a man in 6 sec. Calculate the length of the train in meters.
Solution:
Speed in m/s = 60×5/18 = 50/3 m/s
Time taken to cross the man = 6 seconds
Hence distance traveled = (50/3) × 6 = 100 meters = length of the train

Ex 2: Train A traveling at 60 km/hr crosses another train B traveling in the same direction at 50 km/hr in
45 sec. What is the total combined length of both the trains?
Solution:
Speed of train A in m/s = 60×5/18 = 50/3 m/s
Speed of train B in m/s = 50×5/18 = 125/9 m/s
The relative speed = (50/3) - (125/9) = 25/9 m/s
Time taken for train A to cross train B = 45 seconds
Therefore, distance traveled = (25/9)×45 = 125 meters = Combined length of two trains

Ex 3: A train crosses a platform of length 300 m in 30 seconds and overtakes a car traveling in the same
direction at speed of 90 km/hr in 120 seconds. What is the length of train (in m) and the speed at which
it is traveling (in km/hr)?
Sol. Let the length of the train = x m and speed of the train = s m/s
We know, distance = speed × time
Given, (x + 300) = s × 30 ⇒ x = (s × 30) – 300 = 30s - 300
Also, since the car is travelling in same direction, x = (s – 90 × 5/18) × 120 = (s-25) × 120 = 120s - 3000
Solving, 30s – 300 = 120s – 3000 ⇒ 90s = 2700 ⇒ s = 30 m/s = 30 × (18/5) km/hr = 108 km/hr
x = 30s - 300 = (30×30) – 300 = 600 m
So, length of the train = 600 m and speed of the train = 108 km/hr
Ex 4: A train traveling at 108 km/hr crosses a bridge of 600 m length completely in 30 seconds. What is
the length of the train?
Solution:
Speed = 108 km/hr = 108 × 5/18 = 30 m/s. Time taken to cross = 30 seconds.
Therefore, distance traveled = speed × time = 30 × 30 = 900 m.
Distance = Length of the train + length of the bridge
900 = Length of the train + 600, Length of the train = 300 m