Introduction

In this guide, we will walk you through the process of calculating speed using distance and time. The formula for speed is simple, but understanding the proper conversions and units is essential.


Example Data

  • Distance: 1000 meters (1.0 kilometer)
  • Time: 12 minutes 30 seconds

Convert Time to Hours

To calculate speed in kilometers per hour (km/h), we first need to convert the time into hours. This involves converting both minutes and seconds into their corresponding hour values.


Convert Minutes to Hours

Since there are 60 minutes in an hour, we divide the time in minutes by 60:

$ \frac{12 \ \text{minutes}}{60} = 0.2 \ \text{hours} $


Convert Seconds to Hours

There are 3600 seconds in an hour (60 seconds per minute × 60 minutes). To convert 30 seconds into hours:

$ \frac{30 \ \text{seconds}}{3600} \approx 0.0083 \ \text{hours} $


Total Time in Hours

Now, sum the two time components (minutes and seconds):

$ \text{Total Time} = 0.2 \ \text{hours} + 0.0083 \ \text{hours} \approx 0.2083 \ \text{hours} $


Calculate Speed

Now that we have the total time in hours, we can calculate the speed by dividing the distance by the time:

$ \text{Speed} = \frac{\text{Distance}}{\text{Time}} = \frac{1.0 \ \text{km}}{0.2083 \ \text{hours}} \approx 4.8 \ \text{km/h} $


Final Result

The speed is calculated to be 4.8 km/h.

This method shows how straightforward it is to calculate speed when you have the distance and time, provided you correctly convert the units into hours and kilometers.

Edit this page

Last updated 19 Mar 2025, 09:47 CET . history