SBI SO Speed Distance Time — Study Material, 5 PYQs & Practice MCQs | ZestExam
ZestExam
SBI SO Speed Distance Time
Study Material — 5 PYQs (2018–2020) · Concept Notes · Shortcuts
SBI SO Speed Distance Time is a frequently tested subtopic — 5 previous year questions from 2018–2020 papers are included below with concept notes, key rules and shortcut tricks.
A train travels 240 km at a speed of 60 km/h. If the same train then travels 180 km at a speed of 45 km/h, what is the average speed for the entire journey?
Exam Q 32020Previous Year Pattern
A train travels 240 km in 4 hours at constant speed. If it needs to cover the same distance in 3 hours, by what percentage must its speed be increased?
Exam Q 42019Previous Year Pattern
A train travels 240 km in 4 hours at constant speed. If it needs to cover an additional 180 km at the same speed, how much total time (in hours) will it take to complete the entire journey of 420 km?
Exam Q 52019Previous Year Pattern
A train travels from Station A to Station B at 60 km/h. On the return journey from B to A, it travels at 40 km/h. If the total time taken for the entire round trip is 10 hours, what is the distance between the two stations?
Concept Notes
Speed Distance Time— Rules & Concept
💡
Core Concept
Read this first — the foundation of the topic
→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
💡Key Formulas
• 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 Patterns
What 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)
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
Convert speed to m/s
54 km/hr = 54 × 5/18 = 15 m/s
2
Find total distance covered
Distance = Speed × Time = 15 × 20 = 300m
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
42graded MCQs · easy to hard · full solution & trap analysis · showing 20 of 42
A cyclist covers 72 km in 6 hours. How far will he travel in 9 hours at the same speed?
Practice 2easy
A car travels 240 km in 4 hours. What is its average speed in km/h?
Practice 3easy
A cyclist covers 150 km at a speed of 30 km/h. How much time does the journey take?
Practice 4easy
Two cities are 360 km apart. A bus travels from City A to City B at 60 km/h. How long does the journey take?
Practice 5easy
A runner covers 400 metres in 50 seconds. What is his speed in m/s?
Practice 6easy
A bus travels 180 km in 3 hours. If it increases its speed by 20%, how much distance will it cover in 5 hours at the new speed?
Practice 7easy
A cyclist travels at 15 km/h for 2 hours, then at 20 km/h for 3 hours. What is the average speed for the entire journey?
Practice 8easy
A runner completes 15 km in 1 hour 30 minutes. What is his speed in km/h?
Practice 9easy
A bus covers 180 km in 3 hours. If it travels at the same speed, how many hours will it take to cover 420 km?
Practice 10easy
A man walks at 5 km/h. How much distance will he cover in 2 hours 24 minutes?
Practice 11easy
A cyclist covers 72 km in 8 hours. How much distance will he cover in 5 hours at the same speed?
Practice 12easy
A train travels at 90 km/h. How long will it take to cover 360 km?
Practice 13easy
A car travels 240 km in 4 hours. What is its average speed in km/h?
Practice 14easy
A man walks at 5 km/h and covers a distance in 8 hours. If he walks at 4 km/h, how much time will he take to cover the same distance?
Practice 15easy
A train covers 450 km at a speed of 90 km/h. How much time does it take?
Practice 16easy
A train travels at 90 km/h. How many metres does it cover in 10 seconds?
Practice 17easy
A train travels at 90 km/h for 2 hours, then at 60 km/h for 3 hours. What is the average speed for the entire journey?
Practice 18medium
Two runners start from the same point. Runner A runs at 8 m/s and Runner B at 6 m/s. After how many seconds will Runner A be exactly 100 metres ahead of Runner B?
Practice 19medium
A car travels 180 km in 2.5 hours. A motorcycle travels the same distance in 3 hours. How much faster (in km/h) is the car than the motorcycle?
Practice 20medium
Two cars start from the same point. Car A travels at 60 km/h and Car B travels at 40 km/h in the same direction. After how many hours will Car A be 80 km ahead of Car B?
22 more practice questions in the Study Panel
Difficulty-graded, bookmarkable, with timed mode. Free account — no credit card.