Practice Speed in Physics

Use these practice problems to test your method after reviewing the concept explanation and worked examples.

Worksheet PDF Free Answer-key PDF Family

Quick Recap

The rate at which an object covers distance over time, calculated as total distance divided by total time, always expressed as a non-negative scalar quantity.

How fast you're going, ignoring which way—just the magnitude of motion.

Showing a random 20 of 50 problems.

Example 1

medium
A car goes 3030 m/s for the first 22 s and 1010 m/s for the next 66 s. Average speed?

Example 2

easy
A car's velocity is −15-15 m/s. What is its speed?

Example 3

challenge
A cyclist averages 20 km/h20 \text{ km/h} on a flat stretch. To average 30 km/h30 \text{ km/h} over a round trip (same flat stretch out and back), what speed is needed on the return?

Example 4

medium
A runner covers 15001500 m in 55 min. Express the speed in m/s.

Example 5

easy
A jogger runs 5 km5 \text{ km} in 25 minutes25 \text{ minutes}. What is the average speed in m/s?

Example 6

medium
A jogger runs 22 km in 1010 min. Express the speed in km/h.

Example 7

easy
Convert 108 km/h108 \text{ km/h} to m/s.

Example 8

easy
A car covers 100100 m in 55 s. Find its speed.

Example 9

medium
A car travels 8080 m in 44 s and then 6060 m in 22 s. Find the average speed.

Example 10

medium
A wheel point moves 0.40.4 m each rotation and completes 55 rotations in 22 s. Find its speed.

Example 11

hard
A boat moves at 8 km/h8 \text{ km/h} in still water. A river flows at 3 km/h3 \text{ km/h}. Find the boat's speed when going downstream and when going upstream.

Example 12

challenge
A car travels half the distance at 3030 km/h and half at 6060 km/h. Find the average speed.

Example 13

challenge
A car travels equal times at 3030 and 6060 km/h. Find the average speed and explain why it differs from the equal-distance case.

Example 14

challenge
A dog runs back and forth at 1010 m/s between two walkers approaching each other; the walkers take 120120 s to meet. Total distance the dog runs?

Example 15

easy
Light travels 300,000300{,}000 km in 11 s. Speed in km/s?

Example 16

easy
A walker takes 5050 s to cover 150150 m. Find the speed.

Example 17

hard
Bird A flies at 12 m/s12 \text{ m/s} east; bird B flies at 5 m/s5 \text{ m/s} west. Find the speed of A relative to B.

Example 18

hard
A car travels 13\frac{1}{3} of the distance at 30 km/h30 \text{ km/h} and 23\frac{2}{3} at 60 km/h60 \text{ km/h}. Find the average speed.

Example 19

hard
Two cars start 300 km300 \text{ km} apart and drive toward each other at 40 km/h40 \text{ km/h} and 60 km/h60 \text{ km/h}. When and where do they meet?

Example 20

hard
A train of length 200 m200 \text{ m} moves at 36 km/h36 \text{ km/h}. How long does it take to fully cross a 400 m400 \text{ m} platform?
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