Lesson 7 of 16
Average speed of a journey
Show on a big screenA car covers 40 km, then 50 km, then 60 km. Each takes one hour. What speed describes the trip?
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The idea
Average speed is the total distance divided by the total time.
Step 1 of 3
- Three hours: 40 km, 50 km, 60 km.
- Total: 150 km in 3 h.
- 150 ÷ 3 = 50 km/h.
The car did not move at 50 km/h all the time. Average speed gives one number for the whole trip.
An odometer counts the distance a vehicle has travelled. A speedometer shows how fast the vehicle goes now.
Watch out!
When the times differ, do not add the speeds and divide. Divide the total distance by the total time.
Try the lab to finish this lesson.