In this chapter we continue our journey, practising reading timetables, calculating travel time, and working with distances and speeds in simple, everyday situations.
Key Concepts
Timetable: A table showing departure and arrival times of trains, buses, or flights. We read rows and columns to find journey details.
Travel Time: The time from departure to arrival.
Travel Time = Arrival Time - Departure Time
Distance: How far we travel.
Average Speed (simple idea): Speed tells how fast we travel.
Speed = Distance / Time
Reading a Table: Look for the row (journey) and the column (detail like time or station). Cross-reference to find what you need.
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A bus leaves at 8:30 AM and arrives at 11:00 AM. How long is the journey?
- 11:00 AM - 8:30 AM = 2 hours 30 minutes
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A train covers 300 km in 5 hours. What is its average speed?
- Speed = 300 / 5 = 60 km per hour
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A car travels at 80 km/h for 3 hours. How far does it go?
- Distance = Speed x Time = 80 x 3 = 240 km
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Train A departs at 6:45 AM and arrives at 2:15 PM. What is the travel time?
- From 6:45 AM to 2:15 PM:
- 6:45 AM to 12:45 PM = 6 hours; 12:45 PM to 2:15 PM = 1 hour 30 min
- Total = 7 hours 30 minutes
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Two cities are 420 km apart. A bus travels at 60 km/h. How many hours does the journey take?
- Time = Distance / Speed = 420 / 60 = 7 hours
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Key Formulas
Key formulas
Common mistakes
- Subtracting AM from PM times without accounting for the 12-hour format. Always convert to a 24-hour line if needed.
- Confusing km and km/h. Speed has units "per hour" (km/h).
Summary
We use timetables to plan journeys. Travel time is found by subtracting departure from arrival. Distance = Speed x Time. Speed = Distance / Time.