Ratio & ProportionTopic Summary
Knowledge Organiser: Speed, Distance and Time
Part of Speed, Distance, Time · GCSE GCSE Mathematics revision
This topic summary covers Knowledge Organiser: Speed, Distance and Time within Speed, Distance, Time for GCSE Mathematics. Revise Speed, Distance, Time in Ratio & Proportion for GCSE Mathematics with 14 exam-style questions and 12 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 4 of 4 in this topic. Use this topic summary to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 4 of 4
Practice
14 questions
Recall
12 flashcards
Knowledge Organiser: Speed, Distance and Time
Key Terms
- Speed: The distance travelled per unit of time
- Average speed: Total distance divided by total time for a journey
- Distance: The length of the path travelled
- Time: The duration of travel
- Units: Speed in km/h or m/s; distance in km or m; time in hours or seconds
Must-Know Facts
- Speed = Distance ÷ Time
- Distance = Speed × Time
- Time = Distance ÷ Speed
- Units MUST match: km/h needs distance in km and time in hours
- Convert time to decimal hours: 30 min = 0.5 h; 45 min = 0.75 h; 90 min = 1.5 h
- Average speed = total distance ÷ total time (NOT average of two speeds)
Key Formulas
- S = D ÷ T
- D = S × T
- T = D ÷ S
- Cover the letter you want in the DST triangle to find the formula
Common Mistakes
- Time as decimals: 1 hr 30 min = 1.5 hours, NOT 1.3 hours — convert minutes by dividing by 60
- Unit mismatch: Speed in km/h but distance in metres — convert to matching units first
- Average speed: Total distance ÷ total time — cannot just average two speeds
- Rearranging incorrectly: D = S × T, so T = D ÷ S (not D × S)