GCSE Maths Practice: units-and-conversions
This question practices calculating speed from distance and time. Speed measures how fast an object moves per unit time, a fundamental concept in physics and everyday life.
Always write distance and time in the same units before dividing. Double-check your units.
To calculate speed, divide the total distance travelled by the total time taken. For example, if a car travels 180 km in 2 hours, you divide 180 by 2, giving 90 km/h. Always check that distance and time are in compatible units (e.g., km and hours, m and seconds). Understanding the relationship between speed, distance, and time helps in planning travel, estimating arrival times, and solving real-world problems. Students should practice converting units, such as m/s to km/h, to ensure accurate calculations in various contexts. Additionally, speed can be visualized on a distance-time graph, where the gradient of the line represents the speed. It is also important to understand how changing either distance or time affects speed; for instance, if time doubles while distance remains constant, the speed halves, and vice versa. Mastering these calculations forms a solid foundation for more complex physics and mathematics problems.