Speed, distance and time practice questions

Speed equals distance divided by time. For average speed across a multi-stage journey, add all the distances and divide by the total time, and never average the individual speeds. A car covering 180 miles in 3 hours total has an average speed of 60 mph.

Speed, distance and time are linked by one relationship: speed = distance ÷ time. The GCSE twist is average speed across a journey with more than one stage, where the intuitive answer is usually wrong.

The method, step by step

1. Use the triangle. Distance on top, speed and time below.
2. Match the units. Miles with mph, kilometres with km/h. Convert minutes to hours first.
3. For average speed, total everything. Add all distances and all times before dividing.
4. Never average the speeds. Averaging two speeds gives the wrong answer unless the times are equal.

Worked example

Common mistakes

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