Maths Library

Speed, Distance and Time: Year 8 maths

This topic covers the relationship between speed, distance, and time using standard formulae. The worksheet practises calculating one variable given the other two, including simple unit conversions.

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What this covers

Speed, Distance and Time is taught in Year 8 (age 13 to 14) as a main teaching focus. It sits in the Measurement strand.

Worked example

A train travels a distance of 180 km in 3 hours. Calculate its average speed.

  1. State the formula: Speed = Distance ÷ Time
  2. Substitute the values: Speed = 1803
  3. Evaluate: 1803 = 60

Answer: 60 km/h

Difficulty scale

The sheet generator offers five difficulty settings for this topic.

  1. Finding distance given integer speed and integer hours
  2. Finding speed or time with exact integer division
  3. Calculations involving half and quarter hours expressed as decimals
  4. Converting minutes to fractions of an hour before calculating
  5. Multi-step problems involving average speed over two legs of a journey

Common mistakes

  • Treating minutes directly as decimals (e.g. 1 hour 30 mins as 1.3 hours)
  • Multiplying distance by time to calculate speed

Curriculum links

Indicative matches to Australian Curriculum v9. Check wording and codes against the official document.

  • AC9M8M02 Calculate time, distance, and speed using rates and unit conversions.

Sample sheet and answers

Six questions at the level's usual difficulty. Open the editor to change, add or regenerate any of them.

Speed, Distance and Time

Year 8 maths

Qs
6
Marks
6
NameDateScore / 6
1.
A cyclist travels 80 km at 40 km/h. How long does the journey take?
[1]
2.
A train travels at 40 km/h for 6 hours. How far does it go?
[1]
3.
A cyclist travels 30 km at 15 km/h. How long does the journey take?
[1]
4.
A train travels at 20 km/h for 5 hours. How far does it go?
[1]
5.
A train travels at 45 km/h for 4 hours. How far does it go?
[1]
6.
A cyclist travels 100 km at 25 km/h. How long does the journey take?
[1]

Answer key

  1. 2 hoursTime = distance ÷ speed; 80 ÷ 40 = 2 hours
  2. 240 kmDistance = speed × time; 40 × 6 = 240 km
  3. 2 hoursTime = distance ÷ speed; 30 ÷ 15 = 2 hours
  4. 100 kmDistance = speed × time; 20 × 5 = 100 km
  5. 180 kmDistance = speed × time; 45 × 4 = 180 km
  6. 4 hoursTime = distance ÷ speed; 100 ÷ 25 = 4 hours