Speed & Distance-Time Graphs · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Speed and Distance-Time Graphs

Science · Forces & Motion · ages 11-12
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. On a distance-time graph, a horizontal line means the object is:

    • Moving at constant speed
    • Stationary
    • Accelerating
    • Moving backwards

  2. A cyclist travels 30 km in 2 hours. What is their average speed in km/h?

    Answer: ______________

  3. A train covers 240 km at an average speed of 80 km/h. How long does the journey take in hours?

    Answer: ______________

  4. On a distance-time graph, what does a flat line show?

    • The object is moving very slowly
    • The object has stopped moving
    • The object is moving at its fastest speed

  5. Section A covers 16 km in 2 hours. Section B covers 6 km in the same 2 hours. Which section's graph line is steeper, meaning a faster speed?

    Section A(2 h)16Section B(2 h)6
    • They are the same speed
    • Section B
    • Section A

  6. Average speed for a round trip is always the average of the outward and return speeds.

    Circle one:   True   False

  7. If a distance-time graph line curves upward (gets steeper), the object is:

    • Slowing down
    • Speeding up
    • Moving at constant speed
    • Stationary

  8. A runner completes a 5 km race in 25 minutes. What is their average speed in km/h?

    Answer: ______________

  9. Tom's distance-time graph goes flat for a while, then keeps sloping upward the same way as before. What happened during the flat part?

    • Tom stopped moving for a while
    • Tom turned around and went back
    • Tom sped up

  10. A walker covers 8 km in the first 2 hours, rests for 1 hour, then walks 4 km in the next 1 hour. What is the average speed for the whole 4-hour journey, in km/h?

    Answer: ______________

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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Speed and Distance-Time Graphs W1-mt_q-1a86ydgU-s1

  1. Stationary · A horizontal line means distance does not change over time, so the object is stationary.
  2. 15 · Average speed = distance / time = 30 km / 2 h = 15 km/h.
  3. 3 · Time = distance / speed = 240 km / 80 km/h = 3 hours.
  4. The object has stopped moving · A flat line means the distance stays the same while time keeps ticking, so nothing is moving.
  5. Section A · Section A covers more distance in the same time, so its line is steeper and its speed is faster (8 km/h) compared with Section B (3 km/h).
  6. False · Average speed is total distance divided by total time. If speeds differ, the slower leg takes more time and weights the average lower.
  7. Speeding up · Increasing gradient means covering more distance in each time interval, so speed is increasing.
  8. 12 · 25 minutes = 25/60 hours = 5/12 hours. Speed = 5 km / (5/12) h = 12 km/h.
  9. Tom stopped moving for a while · A flat section always means stopped. Since the line keeps rising the same way afterward, Tom carried on in the same direction, he just paused first.
  10. 3 · Average speed uses the whole journey: total distance (12 km) ÷ total time (4 h, including the rest) = 3 km/h.
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