Quantitative Aptitude

Time, Speed and Distance

2,165 Questions
All Core formulas and unit conversion 441 Boats and streams effective speed 396 Relative speed, meetings, and overtaking 375 Average speed 362 Early and late arrival 321 Proportional relationships 202 Stoppage time per hour 35 Train and stationary or moving object crossing 17 Races and dead heats 16

Time, Speed and Distance Questions

Multiple choice

A bus covers a distance of first 50 km in 40 minutes, next 50 km at a speed of 2 km per minute and the next 30 km at a speed of 1.0 km per minute. What is its average speed during the entire journey?

  1. 61.5 kmph

  2. 55.06 kmph

  3. 82.1 kmph

  4. 80 kmph
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Total distance = 50 + 50 + 30 = 130 km. Time 1 = 40 min. Time 2 = 50 km / (2 km/min) = 25 min. Time 3 = 30 km / (1 km/min) = 30 min. Total time = 40 + 25 + 30 = 95 min = 95/60 hours. Average speed = 130 / (95/60) = 7800 / 95 = 82.1 kmph.

Multiple choice

In covering a certain distance, the average speeds of X and Y are in the ratio 4 : 5. If X takes 45 minutes more than Y to reach the destination, then what is the time taken by Y to reach the destination?

  1. 135 minutes

  2. 150 minutes

  3. 180 minutes

  4. 225 minutes
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Since speed and time are inversely proportional for a constant distance, the ratio of time taken by X and Y is 5 : 4. The difference in their times is 1 part, which corresponds to 45 minutes. Therefore, the time taken by Y is 4 parts, which equals 4 * 45 = 180 minutes.

Multiple choice

Time taken by a boat to cover (D-11) km in upstream is 5 times of the time taken by boat to cover (D-21) km in downstream. If ratio of speed of current to speed of boat in downstream is 1 : 3 and boat can cover (D-8) km in upstream in 14 hours, then, find speed of boat in still water?

  1. 6 kmph

  2. 4 kmph

  3. 8 kmph

  4. 5 kmph

  5. 7 kmph
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Let boat speed be B and current speed be C. Downstream speed = B+C, Upstream = B-C. Ratio C/(B+C) = 1/3 implies 3C = B+C, so B = 2C. Upstream speed = B-C = C. Downstream speed = 3C. Time upstream = (D-11)/C. Time downstream = (D-21)/3C. Given (D-11)/C = 5 * (D-21)/3C, so 3(D-11) = 5(D-21), 3D - 33 = 5D - 105, 2D = 72, D = 36. Upstream time = (36-8)/C = 14, so 28/C = 14, C = 2. B = 2C = 4 kmph.

Multiple choice

If I walk at 8 km/hr, I will reach 1 hour early and if I walk at 6 km/hr, I will be 4 hours late. Find the distance between the starting point and the end point. If I want to reach the destination at the right time, find the speed at which I should walk.

  1. 240 kms , 7.5 km/hr

  2. 120 kms , 7.5 km/hr

  3. 120 kms, 8 km/hr

  4. 240 kms, 2 km/hr
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Let distance be D. D/8 = T - 1, D/6 = T + 4. D = 8(T-1) = 6(T+4) => 8T - 8 = 6T + 24 => 2T = 32 => T = 16. D = 8(15) = 120 km. Correct time = 16 hours. Speed = 120 / 16 = 7.5 km/hr.

Multiple choice

Abhishek and John start at the same time to travel towards each other on a straight road at respective speeds of 120 km/hr and 130 km/hr. When they meet, it was found that one of them had covered 40 mts more than the other. Find the initial distance between them (in mts).

  1. 480

  2. 520

  3. 980

  4. 1000
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The relative speed of the two travelers is 120 + 130 = 250 km/hr. The difference in distance covered is proportional to the difference in their speeds; since one covers 40 meters more, the ratio of their speeds (120:130) implies the total distance is (120+130)/(130-120) * 40 meters. This calculates to 250/10 * 40 = 1000 meters.

Multiple choice

Amol travels from home to college at 40 kmph. On reaching the college gate, he realizes that its Sunday and hence immediately returns home by the same route at 60 kmph. Find his average speed for the entire (to and fro) journey.

  1. 50 kmph

  2. 48 kmph

  3. 45 kmph

  4. 40 kmph
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The average speed for a round trip with speeds v1 and v2 is (2 * v1 * v2) / (v1 + v2). Substituting 40 and 60 gives (2 * 40 * 60) / (40 + 60) = 4800 / 100 = 48 kmph.