SBI Clerk Speed Distance Time — Study Material, 6 PYQs & Practice MCQs | ZestExam
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SBI Clerk Speed Distance Time
Study Material — 6 PYQs (2022–2022) · Concept Notes · Shortcuts
SBI Clerk Speed Distance Time is a frequently tested subtopic — 6 previous year questions from 2022–2022 papers are included below with concept notes, key rules and shortcut tricks.
SBI Clerk Speed Distance Time — Past Exam Questions
6 questions from actual SBI Clerk papers · all shown free · click option to reveal solution
Exam Q 12022Previous Year Pattern
A man walks 3 km in 45 minutes. If he walks at the same speed, how much distance will he cover in 2 hours 15 minutes?
Exam Q 22022Previous Year Pattern
Two runners start from the same point. Runner A runs at 8 m/s and Runner B runs at 6 m/s in the same direction. After how many seconds will Runner A be 100 metres ahead of Runner B?
Two cyclists start from the same point and travel in opposite directions on a circular track of 400 m. Cyclist A travels at 8 m/s and Cyclist B at 12 m/s. After how many seconds will they meet for the second time?
Exam Q 42022Previous Year Pattern
A train travels from Station A to Station B, covering the first 120 km at 60 km/h and the next 180 km at 90 km/h. A car starts from Station A at the same time and travels at a constant speed. If the car reaches Station B exactly when the train does, what is the car's speed in km/h?
Exam Q 52022Previous Year Pattern
A boat takes 6 hours to travel 120 km downstream and 10 hours to travel the same distance upstream. If the boat's speed in still water is b km/h and the current's speed is c km/h, what is the value of (b² - c²)?
Exam Q 62022Previous Year Pattern
Two trains start simultaneously from stations P and Q, which are 360 km apart. Train X from P travels towards Q at 80 km/h, and Train Y from Q travels towards P at 100 km/h. A bird starts flying from P towards Q at 120 km/h at the same time the trains start. When the bird meets Train Y, it immediately turns back and flies towards Train X. This process continues until the trains meet. What is the total distance covered by the bird in km?
Concept Notes
Speed Distance Time— Rules & Concept
Core ConceptRead this first — the foundation of the topic
Speed, Distance, and Time form the foundation of motion problems in SSC CGL. This topic appears in 2-3 questions per exam and requires strong formula application skills. Core Concept: Speed measures how fast an object moves. Distance is the path covered. Time is the duration taken. These three are linked by a simple relationship that forms the base of all calculations.
Formula BlockMemorise — at least one formula appears in every paper
• Speed = Distance/Time (S = D/T)
• Distance = Speed × Time (D = S × T)
• Time = Distance/Speed (T = D/S)
Unit Conversions (Critical for SSC):
• km/hr to m/s: Multiply by 5/18
• m/s to km/hr: Multiply by 18/5
• 1 km/hr = 5/18 m/s
Exam PatternsWhat examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs
Shortcut 1 - Unit Conversion Trick
To convert km/hr to m/s, multiply by 5/18
Remember
36 km/hr = 10 m/s (this is a standard conversion to memorize)
Shortcut 2 - Distance Formula Rearrangement
When speed increases by x%, new time = Original time × 100/(100+x)
When speed decreases by x%, new time = Original time × 100/(100-x)
Worked ExampleSolve this step-by-step before moving on
Convert to m/s
Speed in m/s = 60 × 5/18 = 300/18 = 16.67 m/s
Answer: 16.67 m/s
Worked Example 2:
A train running at 54 km/hr takes 20 seconds to cross a platform 200m long. Find the length of the train.
1
Step 1
Convert speed to m/s
54 km/hr = 54 × 5/18 = 15 m/s
2
Step 2
Find total distance covered
Distance = Speed × Time = 15 × 20 = 300m
3
Step 3
Find train length
Train length = Total distance - Platform length = 300 - 200 = 100m
Answer: 100 meters
Shortcut 3 - Relative Speed:
• Same direction: Relative speed = |S1 - S2|
• Opposite direction: Relative speed = S1 + S2
Most Common Trap (#1 Mistake):
Students forget unit conversions! SSC deliberately mixes km/hr and m/s in the same question. Always check units in options and convert accordingly. Questions asking for train crossing times usually need m/s, while car journey problems often use km/hr.
Another frequent error is confusing relative motion directions. When two objects move toward each other, add their speeds. When moving in the same direction, subtract speeds.
Time-based problems often trick students with percentage changes in speed. Remember: if speed increases by 25%, time decreases by 20% (not 25%). Use the reciprocal relationship carefully.
Practice identifying whether the question asks for train length, crossing time, or platform length. Each requires different approaches but uses the same core formula.
Key Points to Remember
Master formula: Speed = Distance/Time and its variations D = S × T and T = D/S
Unit conversion: km/hr to m/s multiply by 5/18, m/s to km/hr multiply by 18/5
Standard conversion: 36 km/hr = 10 m/s (memorize this)
Relative speed: same direction subtract speeds, opposite direction add speeds
Train problems: Total distance = Train length + Platform/Bridge length
Speed increase by x%: New time = Original time × 100/(100+x)
Speed decrease by x%: New time = Original time × 100/(100-x)
Always check units in answer options before solving
Average speed = Total distance/Total time (not average of individual speeds)
Time and speed are inversely proportional when distance is constant
Exam-Specific Tips
1 km/hr equals exactly 5/18 m/s
36 km/hr equals exactly 10 m/s
72 km/hr equals exactly 20 m/s
Average speed formula: Total distance divided by total time
Relative speed when objects move toward each other: Sum of individual speeds
Relative speed when objects move in same direction: Difference of individual speeds
When speed increases by 20%, time decreases by 16.67%
When speed decreases by 20%, time increases by 25%
Practice MCQs
Speed Distance Time — Practice Questions
9graded MCQs · easy to hard · full solution & trap analysis
A car travels 240 km in 4 hours. What is its average speed in km/h?
Practice 2easy
A person travels 120 km by train at 60 km/h and then 80 km by car at 40 km/h. What is the average speed for the entire journey?
Practice 3easy
A man walks at 5 km/h and covers a certain distance in 6 hours. If he walks at 6 km/h, how much time will he save?
Practice 4easy
A bus travels 180 km in 3 hours. If it increases its speed by 20 km/h, how long will it take to cover the same 180 km?
Practice 5easy
A cyclist covers 150 km in 5 hours. How long will it take to cover 300 km at the same speed?
Practice 6medium
A train travels 240 km in 4 hours. If it increases its speed by 20%, how long will it take to cover the same distance?
Practice 7medium
A car travels from City A to City B at 60 km/h and returns at 40 km/h. If the distance between the cities is 120 km, what is the average speed for the entire journey?
Practice 8medium
A boat travels 72 km downstream in 3 hours and 72 km upstream in 4 hours. What is the speed of the boat in still water?
Practice 9medium
A cyclist covers 180 km in 5 hours. A second cyclist covers the same distance 1 hour faster. What is the difference in their speeds?
60-Second Revision — Speed Distance Time
Formula: Speed = Distance/Time, Distance = Speed × Time, Time = Distance/Speed
Remember: 36 km/hr = 10 m/s for quick conversions
Unit conversion: km/hr to m/s multiply by 5/18
Trap: Always check if answer needs km/hr or m/s units
Relative speed: Add for opposite directions, subtract for same direction