CAT 2023 » CAT Study Material » Quantitative Ability (Mathematics) » Time, Speed and Distance for CAT Exams

Time, Speed and Distance for CAT Exams

One of the most frequent quantitative aptitude questions in tests is Speed, Time, and Distance. One of the subjects that candidates are knowledgeable about even before they begin preparing for competitive exams.

Distance Speed In the Mathematics or Quants section of any competitive exam, time is one of the most well-liked and significant topics. For inquiries about a variety of subjects, including motion in a straight line, circular motion, boats and streams, races, clocks, etc., the concept of Speed, Time, and Distance is frequently used. Candidates should make an effort to comprehend how the variables of speed, distance, and time interact.

Speed

The rate at which an object goes from one location to another in a predetermined amount of time is referred to as its speed. It is a scalar quantity since it simply describes the magnitude of an object’s motion, not its direction. M/s is the S.I. unit of speed.

A moving object’s speed can be determined using the formula:

         Speed = Distance / Time 

can either be uniform or variable.

Time

Time is the amount of time, measured in hours, minutes, or seconds, required to go a specific distance. A moving object’s time to travel a specified distance at a specific speed is calculated as follows:

        Time = Distance / Speed

Distance

Distance is the length of a person or object’s path that they have travelled. If you know how long it moved for and how quickly it moved, you can compute the object’s distance travelled. The following formula can be used to determine how far an object or person has travelled in terms of speed and time:

      Distance = Speed * time

Speed, Time and Distance Relationship

  • Speed = Distance/Time – This reveals how quickly or slowly an object is moving. It gives the amount of time it took to travel a certain distance divided by the distance travelled.

  • Speed is inversely correlated with time and directly correlated with distance. Hence,

  • Distance = Speed X Time, and 

  • Time = Distance / Speed, The time required will reduce as the speed does, and vice versa.

Speed, Time and Distance Units

Different units can be used to express speed, distance, and time.

  • In general, seconds, minutes, and hours can be used to express time (hr).

  • although the measurement of distance is typically done in metres (m), kilometres (km), centimetres (cm), miles (m), feet (ft), etc.

  • m/s and km/hr are frequently used to express speed.

For instance, using the following formula, if the distance is provided in kilometres and the duration in hours:

Speed = Distance/ Time; If the distance is specified in kilometres and the time in second 

Application of Speed, Time & Distance

Average Speed 

Average Speed = (Total distance travelled) / (Total time taken)

Case 1 – Average speed is equal to 2xy/x+y when the distance is constant, where x and y are the two speeds at which the same distance has been travelled.

Case 2 – Average speed is equal to (x + y)/2 when the time taken is constant, where x and y are the two speeds we travelled at for the same amount of time.

Inverse Proportionality of Speed & Time

When the Distance is constant, Speed and Time are inversely related. When D is constant, S has an inverse relationship to 1/T. The Time will be in the ratio n:m if the Speeds are in the ratio m:n.

Meeting Point Questions

If two people are travelling from places A and B in the same direction and meet at point P. They will have travelled AB in total distance during the encounter. Both of them will need the same amount of time to meet. The distances AP and BP will be proportional to their respective speeds because Time is constant. Let’s say that d separates A from B.

When two people first see each other while travelling in opposite directions from A and B, they will have travelled a distance of “d.” When they reunite for the second time, they travel a “3-dimensional” distance together. They have travelled a distance of “5d” together by the time they meet for the third time.

Conclusion

Like any other equation, the formula speed = distance/ time can be changed. Speed = distance/time can be rearranged in three different ways. Speed divided by time equals distance. Although the fundamentals of speed, time, and distance stay the same, the kind of problems posed in exams may vary.

faq

Frequently asked questions

Get answers to the most common queries related to the CAT Examination Preparation.

What are time, distance, and speed?

Answer: Speed tells us how swiftly or slowly an object is moving. While distance, as the name suggests, relates to t...Read full

What is the relationship between time, distance, and speed?

Answer: The following is the relationship between speed, time, and distance:...Read full

Who discovered the speed formula?

Answer: Italian physicist Galileo Galilei is credited with being the first to calculate the speed of a moving object...Read full

Is distance and speed inversely correlated?

Answer: Think about the fundamental equation: speed = distance/time....Read full

What details are required to measure speed?

Answer: According to the definition of speed, it is defined as the product of time and distance. Therefore, in order...Read full