A car travels 120 miles in 3 hours. What is its average speed?
The average speed is 40 mph.
How to work it out
- 1
Write down what you know: distance d = 120 miles, time t = 3 hours. You are asked for the speed v.
- 2
Use the formula speed = distance ÷ time:
- 3
Answer with the unit: 40 mph.
- 4
The same formula rearranged: distance = speed × time (40 × 3 = 120 miles) and time = distance ÷ speed (120 ÷ 40 = 3 hours).
LaTeX source of the formulas on this page
\[ v = \frac{d}{t} = \frac{120}{3} = 40\ \text{mph} \]
\[ v = \frac{d}{t} = \frac{120}{3} = 40 \]How far at 40 mph
| Time | Distance |
|---|---|
| 0.5 hours | 20 miles |
| 1 hour | 40 miles |
| 2 hours | 80 miles |
| 3 hours | 120 miles |
| 4 hours | 160 miles |
| 5 hours | 200 miles |
Questions
What is the speed if a car travels 120 miles in 3 hours?
The average speed is 40 mph.
How far does it go in 3 hours at that speed?
120 miles.