Speed, Time & Distance – Aptitude Practice with
Solutions
1. A train travels 120 km in 3 hours. What is its average speed?
Solution: Speed = Distance/Time = 120/3 = 40 km/h.
2. A cyclist covers 45 km at a speed of 15 km/h. How much time does he take?
Solution: Time = Distance/Speed = 45/15 = 3 hours.
3. A car runs at 60 km/h for 2 hours and then at 80 km/h for 3 hours. Find the total distance
covered.
Solution: Distance = (60×2) + (80×3) = 120 + 240 = 360 km.
4. A man travels from A to B at 40 km/h and returns at 60 km/h. Find his average speed for
the whole journey.
Solution: Average Speed = (2xy)/(x+y) = (2×40×60)/(40+60) = 4800/100 = 48 km/h.
5. A person covers half the distance at 30 km/h and the other half at 50 km/h. What is his
average speed?
Solution: Average Speed = (2xy)/(x+y) = (2×30×50)/(30+50) = 3000/80 = 37.5 km/h.
6. Two trains of lengths 120 m and 100 m run at speeds of 45 km/h and 55 km/h
respectively in the same direction. In how much time will the faster train cross the slower?
Solution: Relative speed = (55-45) = 10 km/h = 10×1000/3600 = 2.78 m/s. Distance =
120+100=220 m. Time = 220/2.78 ≈ 79.1 s.
7. Two cyclists start towards each other from points 100 km apart. Their speeds are 20
km/h and 30 km/h. After how much time will they meet?
Solution: Relative speed = 20+30 = 50 km/h. Time = 100/50 = 2 hours.
8. A boat goes 12 km downstream in 2 hours and the same distance upstream in 3 hours.
Find the speed of the boat in still water.
Solution: Downstream speed = 12/2 = 6 km/h, Upstream speed = 12/3 = 4 km/h. Boat speed =
(6+4)/2 = 5 km/h.
9. If a man rows 20 km downstream in 2 hours and 15 km upstream in 3 hours, find the
speed of the current.
Solution: Downstream = 20/2 = 10 km/h, Upstream = 15/3 = 5 km/h. Current = (10-5)/2 = 2.5 km/h.
10. A train 180 m long crosses a pole in 12 seconds. Find its speed in km/h.
Solution: Speed = 180/12 = 15 m/s = 15×18/5 = 54 km/h.
11. A 150 m long train crosses a platform of length 350 m in 40 seconds. Find the speed of
the train.
Solution: Distance = 150+350=500 m. Speed = 500/40 = 12.5 m/s = 12.5×18/5 = 45 km/h.
12. Two trains of lengths 100 m and 120 m running in opposite directions cross each other
in 9 seconds. If the speed of the first is 45 km/h, find the speed of the second.
Solution: Relative distance = 220 m. Speed of first = 45×1000/3600 = 12.5 m/s. Total relative speed
= 220/9 ≈ 24.44 m/s. Speed of second = 24.44-12.5 = 11.94 m/s ≈ 43 km/h.
13. Two persons A and B start running around a circular track of 400 m at speeds of 5 m/s
and 8 m/s respectively in the same direction. After how much time will B meet A?
Solution: Relative speed = 8-5 = 3 m/s. Time = 400/3 ≈ 133.3 s.
14. Three persons A, B, C start from the same point around a circular track of 300 m. Their
speeds are 5 m/s, 6 m/s, and 10 m/s. After how much time will they meet again at the
starting point?
Solution: Time = LCM(300/5, 300/6, 300/10) = LCM(60,50,30) = 300 s.
15. In a 1 km race, A gives B a start of 100 m and still beats him by 20 seconds. If A runs
at 20 km/h, find B’s speed.
Solution: A runs 1000 m at 20 km/h = 1000/20000×3600 = 180 s. B runs 900 m in 200 s. Speed =
900/200×18/5 = 16.2 km/h.
16. A runs at 7 m/s while B runs at 6 m/s. If A gives B a head start of 70 m in a 1000 m
race, who will win and by how much distance?
Solution: A runs 1000 m, time = 1000/7 ≈ 142.86 s. B runs in same time = 6×142.86=857.1 m. B’s
head start=70+857.1=927.1 m. A wins by ≈72.9 m.
17. A bus starts from Delhi at 6 am at 60 km/h. Another bus starts at 8 am from the same
point at 90 km/h. At what time will the second bus catch up with the first?
Solution: Distance lead = 2×60=120 km. Relative speed=30 km/h. Time=120/30=4 h after 8 am =
12 noon.
18. A person starts walking at 5 km/h at 6 am. Another person starts from the same point
at 7 am at 7 km/h. At what time will the second person overtake the first?
Solution: Lead = 5 km. Relative speed = 2 km/h. Time=5/2=2.5 h after 7 am = 9:30 am.
19. A train leaves station A at 6 pm and reaches station B at 10 pm. Another train leaves
station B at 8 pm and reaches A at 11:30 pm. At what time do they meet?
Solution: Distance covered by first in 2 h (till 8 pm) = 2/4=1/2. Remaining=1/2 in 2 h. Second train
covers full in 3.5 h. Relative speed ratio=0.25+0.2857≈0.5357/h. Meeting
time=2/(0.5357+0.25)=~1.95 h after 8 pm ≈ 9:57 pm.
20. A man walks at 4 km/h and runs at 8 km/h. He covers a distance of 40 km in 6 hours
partly walking and partly running. Find the distance he walked.
Solution: Let walking distance=x. Then running=40-x. Time=x/4+(40-x)/8=6. Multiply 8:2x+40-x=48
→ x=8 km.