GCSE · Compound units & rates

Speed, distance and timeExam-style questions

Why speed is a rate (distance per one unit of time), how the three formulas are one relationship, why time must be in decimal hours, and why average speed is total distance over total time — never the mean of the speeds.

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14 questions · GCSE (Higher) level · mark scheme and worked solution on each · no sign-up to try

DifficultyAll Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5

1
A car travels $120$ miles in $2$ hours. Work out its average speed.
Level 1 · 1 markTry it
2
A cyclist rides at $15$ km/h for $3$ hours. How far does she travel?
Level 1 · 1 markTry it
3
A coach travels $210$ km at an average speed of $60$ km/h.

(a) How long does the journey take? Give your answer in hours and minutes. (2 marks)

On the return journey the coach takes $4$ hours $12$ minutes for the same $210$ km.

(b) Work out the average speed of the return journey. (1 mark)
Level 2 · 3 marksTry it
4
A train travels $168$ km in $1$ hour $45$ minutes.
(a) Work out the average speed of the train, in km/h. (2 marks)
(b) At this average speed, how long would the train take to travel $240$ km? Give your answer in minutes. (1 mark)
Level 2 · 3 marksTry it
5
A sprinter runs $200$ m in $25$ seconds.

Work out her average speed in m/s.
Level 2 · 2 marksTry it

9 more questions on speed, distance and time

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