A car travels 470 miles in 4 hours. What is its average speed?
The average speed is 117.5 mph.
How to work it out
- 1
Write down what you know: distance d = 470 miles, time t = 4 hours. You are asked for the speed v.
- 2
Use the formula speed = distance ÷ time:
- 3
Answer with the unit: 117.5 mph.
- 4
The same formula rearranged: distance = speed × time (117.5 × 4 = 470 miles) and time = distance ÷ speed (470 ÷ 117.5 = 4 hours).
LaTeX source of the formulas on this page
\[ v = \frac{d}{t} = \frac{470}{4} = 117.5\ \text{mph} \]
\[ v = \frac{d}{t} = \frac{470}{4} = \frac{235}{2} = 117.5 \]How far at 117.5 mph
| Time | Distance |
|---|---|
| 0.5 hours | 58.75 miles |
| 1 hour | 117.5 miles |
| 2 hours | 235 miles |
| 3 hours | 352.5 miles |
| 4 hours | 470 miles |
| 5 hours | 587.5 miles |
Questions
What is the speed if a car travels 470 miles in 4 hours?
The average speed is 117.5 mph.
How far does it go in 3 hours at that speed?
352.5 miles.