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SSC CHSL Speed Distance Time

Study Material — 1 PYQs (2018–2018) · Concept Notes · Shortcuts

SSC CHSL Speed Distance Time is a frequently tested subtopic — 1 previous year questions from 2018–2018 papers are included below with concept notes, key rules and shortcut tricks.

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2018–2018
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10 Key Points
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Previous Year Questions

SSC CHSL Speed Distance Time — Past Exam Questions

1 questions from actual SSC CHSL papers · all shown free · click option to reveal solution

Exam Q 12018Previous Year Pattern

A bus travels from City A to City B at a speed of 60 km/h. On the return journey, it travels at 40 km/h. If the distance between the two cities is 120 km, what is the average speed of the bus for the entire journey (both ways)?

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
1
Step 1

Find speed in km/hr Speed = Distance/Time = 180/3 = 60 km/hr

2
Step 2

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

25graded MCQs · easy to hard · full solution & trap analysis · showing 20 of 25

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Practice 1easy

A cyclist covers 180 metres in 9 seconds. What is his speed in m/s?

Practice 2easy

A train travels at 72 km/h. How much distance will it cover in 5 hours?

Practice 3easy

A bus covers 150 km in 3 hours. How much time will it take to cover 250 km at the same speed?

Practice 4easy

A man walks at 4 km/h. How long will it take him to walk 12 km?

Practice 5easy

A cyclist covers 75 km in 5 hours. How long will it take him to cover 120 km at the same speed?

Practice 6easy

A train travels at 90 km/h. How far will it travel in 20 minutes?

Practice 7easy

A runner covers 400 metres in 50 seconds. What is his speed in m/s?

Practice 8easy

A car travels 240 km in 4 hours. What is its average speed in km/h?

Practice 9easy

A person walks at 4 km/h and covers a certain distance in 3 hours. If he walks at 6 km/h, how much time will he take to cover the same distance?

Practice 10medium

A car travels from City A to City B at 50 km/h and returns at 75 km/h. If the total journey takes 10 hours, what is the distance between the two cities?

Practice 11medium

A cyclist covers 180 km in 5 hours. If he reduces his speed by 25%, how much distance will he cover in 8 hours at the new speed?

Practice 12medium

Two runners start from the same point. Runner A runs at 12 km/h and Runner B runs at 8 km/h in the same direction. After how many hours will Runner A be 20 km ahead of Runner B?

Practice 13medium

A boat travels 48 km downstream in 3 hours and 48 km upstream in 6 hours. What is the speed of the boat in still water?

Practice 14medium

A person walks from point P to point Q at 4 km/h and returns from Q to P at 6 km/h. If the total time taken is 5 hours, what is the distance between P and Q?

Practice 15medium

A train travels 240 km in 4 hours at constant speed. If it needs to cover 360 km at the same speed, how much additional time (in hours) will it require beyond the first 4 hours?

Practice 16medium

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?

Practice 17medium

A car travels from City P to City Q at 60 km/h and returns from Q to P at 40 km/h. If the distance between P and Q is 120 km, what is the average speed for the entire journey?

Practice 18hard

Two cyclists start from the same point and travel in opposite directions on a circular track of circumference 1200 m. Cyclist A travels at 8 m/s and Cyclist B travels at 7 m/s. After how many seconds will they meet for the second time?

Practice 19hard

A person walks from Point X to Point Y at 4 km/h and returns from Y to X at 6 km/h. The total time taken for the round trip is 5 hours. What is the distance between X and Y in km?

Practice 20hard

A train travels 240 km in 4 hours. If it increases its speed by 20%, how much time will it take to cover 432 km at the new speed?

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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
  • Train crossing: Distance = Train length + Platform length
  • Speed-time relationship: Inversely proportional when distance is constant
Relative Speed→
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