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Free Time, Speed and Distance MCQs with Answers

112 Time, Speed and Distance MCQs from Mathematics, each with the correct answer and a written explanation of why it is correct. Free and unlimited, with no account needed.

Problems relate distance, speed and time through the formula distance = speed × time, including unit conversion, average speed, relative speed and motion in opposite or the same direction. Questions may involve trains, boats and streams, where the effective speed changes, so average speed must not be confused with the simple average of two speeds.

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112 questions · page 5 of 6

81. A man can swim in still water at 4.5 km/h, but takes twice as long to swim upstream than downstream. The speed of the stream is_________?

  • A. 3
  • B. 7.5
  • C. 2.25
  • D. 1.5

Explanation: Let the current speed be c km/h. Since the upstream time is twice the downstream time for the same distance, the downstream speed is twice…

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Correct answer: 1.5

82. A person can swim in still water at 4 km/h. If the speed of water 2 km/h, how many hours will the man take to swim back against the current for 6km?

  • A. 3
  • B. 4
  • C. 4 (1/2)
  • D. Insufficient data

Explanation: Against the current, the effective speed is 4 km/h - 2 km/h = 2 km/h. The time required for 6 km is 6 km ÷ 2 km/h = 3 h.

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Correct answer: 3

83. If a man rows at the rate of 5 kmph in still water and his rate against the current is 3.5 kmph. then the man's rate along the current is__________?

  • A. 4.25 kmph
  • B. 6 kmph
  • C. 6.5 kmph
  • D. 8.5 kmph

Explanation: The current speed is the difference between still-water speed and upstream speed: 5 km/h - 3.5 km/h = 1.5 km/h.

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Correct answer: 6.5 kmph

84. A man takes twice as long to row a distance against the stream as to row the same distance in favour of the stream. The ratio of the speed of the boat (in still water) and the stream is________?

  • A. 2 : 1
  • B. 3 : 1
  • C. 3 : 2
  • D. 4 : 3

Explanation: For the same distance, taking twice as long upstream means the upstream speed is half the downstream speed.

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Correct answer: 3 : 1

85. Speed of a boat in standing water is 9 kmph and the speed of the stream is 1.5 kmph. A man rows to a place at a distance of 105 km and comes back to the starting point. The total time taken by him is_________?

  • A. 16 hours
  • B. 18 hours
  • C. 20 hours
  • D. 24 hours

Explanation: The downstream speed is 9 km/h + 1.5 km/h = 10.5 km/h, so the outward time is 105 km ÷ 10.5 km/h = 10 h.

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Correct answer: 24 hours

86. A boatman goes 2 km against the current of the stream in 1 hour and goes 1 km along the current in 10 minutes. How long will it take to go 5 km in stationary water?

  • A. 40 minutes
  • B. 1 hour
  • C. 1 hr 15 min
  • D. 1 hr 30 min

Explanation: The upstream speed is 2 km ÷ 1 h = 2 km/h, and the downstream speed is 1 km ÷ (10/60 h) = 6 km/h.

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Correct answer: 1 hr 15 min

87. A man can row 9 1/3 km/hr in still water and he finds that is thrice as much time to row u p than as to row down the same distance in river. The speed of the current is:________?

  • A. 3 1/3 km/hr
  • B. 3 1/9 km/hr
  • C. 1 ¼ km/hr
  • D. 4 2/3 km/hr

Explanation: Let v = 9 1/3 km/h = 28/3 km/h be the still-water speed and c be the current speed.

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Correct answer: 4 2/3 km/hr

88. A boat travels upstream from B to A and downstream from A to B in 3 hours. If the speed of the boat in still water is 9km/hr and the speed of the current is 3km/hr, the distance A and B is:_______?

  • A. 4km
  • B. 6 km
  • C. 8 km
  • D. 12 km

Explanation: The upstream speed is 9 km/h - 3 km/h = 6 km/h, and the downstream speed is 9 km/h + 3 km/h = 12 km/h.

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Correct answer: 12 km

89. The speed of a boat in still water is 2km/hr. If its speed upstream be 1km/hr then speed of the stream is________?

  • A. 1.5km/hr
  • B. 3km/hr
  • C. 1km/hr
  • D. none

Explanation: Upstream speed equals still-water speed minus current speed. Therefore, 1 km/h = 2 km/h - current speed, so current speed = 1 km/h.

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Correct answer: 1km/hr

90. A boat takes half time in moving a certain distance downstream than upstream. What is the ratio between the rate in still water and rate of current?

  • A. 1 : 2
  • B. 3 : 1
  • C. 2 : 1
  • D. 1 : 3

Explanation: For a fixed distance, taking half the time means the downstream speed is twice the upstream speed.

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Correct answer: 3 : 1

91. A boatman goes 2 km against the current of the stream in 1 hour and goes 1 km along the current in 10 minutes. How long will he take to go 5km in stationery water?

  • A. 40 Minutes
  • B. 1 Hour
  • C. 1 hr 15 Min
  • D. 1 Hr 30 Min

Explanation: The upstream speed is 2 km ÷ 1 h = 2 km/h, while the downstream speed is 1 km ÷ (10/60 h) = 6 km/h.

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Correct answer: 1 hr 15 Min

92. A man can row three-quarters of a kilometer against the stream in 11 ¼ minutes and return in 7 ½ minutes. The speed of the man in still water is________?

  • A. 2km/hr
  • B. 3km/hr
  • C. 4 km/hr
  • D. 5 km/hr

Explanation: The upstream speed is 0.75 km ÷ 0.1875 hour = 4 km/hr, and the downstream speed is 0.75 km ÷ 0.125 hour = 6 km/hr.

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Correct answer: 5 km/hr

93. A boat goes 6 km in an hour in still water. It takes thrice as much time in covering the same distance against the current. Speed of the current is_______?

  • A. 2 km/hr
  • B. 3km/hr
  • C. 4km/hr
  • D. 5 km/hr

Explanation: The boat covers 6 km in 1 hour downstream and takes 3 hours for the same 6 km upstream, so the upstream speed is 6 km ÷ 3 hr = 2 km/hr.

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Correct answer: 4km/hr

94. A boat running upstream takes 8 hours 48 min to cover a certain distance while it takes 4 hours to cover the same distance running downstream. What is the ratio between the speed of the boat and the speed of water current respectively?

  • A. 2 : 1
  • B. 3 : 1
  • C. 8 : 3
  • D. Cannot be determined

Explanation: For distance D, downstream speed is D ÷ 4 hr = D/4, while upstream speed is D ÷ 8.8 hr = 5D/44.

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Correct answer: 8 : 3

95. In a river, a man takes 3 hours in rowing 3 km upstream or 15 km downstream. What is the speed of the current?

  • A. 2km/hr
  • B. 4km/hr
  • C. 6km/hr
  • D. 9km/hr

Explanation: The upstream speed is 3 km ÷ 3 hr = 1 km/hr, and the downstream speed is 15 km ÷ 3 hr = 5 km/hr.

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Correct answer: 2km/hr

96. A man can row at 5 km/hr in still water, if the river is running at 1 km/hr it takes him 75 minutes to row to a place and back. How far is the place?

  • A. 2.5km
  • B. 3km
  • C. 4 km
  • D. 5 km

Explanation: The upstream and downstream speeds are 5 - 1 = 4 km/hr and 5 + 1 = 6 km/hr.

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Correct answer: 3km

97. A runs 1 2/3 times as fast as B. If A gives B a start of 80 m, how far must the winning post be so that A and B might reach it at the same time?

  • A. 200 m
  • B. 300 m
  • C. 270 m
  • D. 160 m

Explanation: A's speed is 1 2/3 = 5/3 times B's speed. If the winning post is x m away, A takes time proportional to x ÷ (5/3), while B covers x - 80…

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Correct answer: 200 m

98. In a 100 m race, A can beat B by 25 m and B can beat C by 4 m. In the same race, A can beat C by:________?

  • A. 21 m
  • B. 26 m
  • C. 28 m
  • D. 29 m

Explanation: A beats B by 25 m in a 100 m race, so A:B speed = 100:75 = 4:3. B beats C by 4 m, so B:C = 100:96 = 25:24; therefore A:C = 25:18, and when…

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Correct answer: 28 m

99. If in a game of 80, P can give 16 points to Q and R can give 20 points to P, then in a game of 150, how many points can R give to Q?

  • A. 48
  • B. 60
  • C. 54
  • D. 90

Explanation: P giving Q 16 points in a game of 80 means P:Q = 80:64 = 5:4. R giving P 20 points means R:P = 80:60 = 4:3, so R:Q = (4:3)(5:4) = 5:3.

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Correct answer: 60

100. If X can run 48m and Y 42m, then in a race of 1km, X beats Y by:_________?

  • A. 140m
  • B. 125m
  • C. 100m
  • D. 110m

Explanation: Their speeds are in the ratio X:Y = 48:42 = 8:7. When X runs 1,000 m, Y runs 1,000 × 7/8 = 875 m, so X beats Y by 1,000 - 875 = 125 m.

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Correct answer: 125m
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