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Solved Speed, Velocity, and Acceleration Problems

Simple problems on speed, velocity, and acceleration with descriptive answers are presented for the AP Physics 1 exam and college students. In each solution, you can find a brief tutorial.

Speed and velocity Problems:

Problem (1): What is the speed of a rocket that travels $8000\,{\rm m}$ in $13\,{\rm s}$?

Solution : Speed is defined in physics as the total distance divided by the elapsed time, so the rocket's speed is \[\text{speed}=\frac{8000}{13}=615.38\,{\rm m/s}\]

Problem (2): How long will it take if you travel $400\,{\rm km}$ with an average speed of $100\,{\rm m/s}$?

Solution : Average speed is the ratio of the total distance to the total time. Thus, the elapsed time is \begin{align*} t&=\frac{\text{total distance}}{\text{average speed}}\\ \\ &=\frac{400\times 10^{3}\,{\rm m}}{100\,{\rm m/s}}\\ \\ &=4000\,{\rm s}\end{align*} To convert it to hours, it must be divided by $3600\,{\rm s}$ which gives $t=1.11\,{\rm h}$.

Problem (3): A person walks $100\,{\rm m}$ in $5$ minutes, then $200\,{\rm m}$ in $7$ minutes, and finally $50\,{\rm m}$ in $4$ minutes. Find its average speed.

Solution : First find its total distance traveled ($D$) by summing all distances in each section, which gets $D=100+200+50=350\,{\rm m}$. Now, by definition of average speed, divide it by the total time elapsed $T=5+7+4=16$ minutes.

But keep in mind that since the distance is in SI units, so the time traveled must also be in SI units, which is $\rm s$. Therefore, we have\begin{align*}\text{average speed}&=\frac{\text{total distance} }{\text{total time} }\\ \\ &=\frac{350\,{\rm m}}{16\times 60\,{\rm s}}\\ \\&=0.36\,{\rm m/s}\end{align*}

Problem (4): A person walks $750\,{\rm m}$ due north, then $250\,{\rm m}$ due east. If the entire walk takes $12$ minutes, find the person's average velocity.

Solution : Average velocity , $\bar{v}=\frac{\Delta x}{\Delta t}$, is displacement divided by the elapsed time. Displacement is also a vector that obeys the addition vector rules. Thus, in this velocity problem, add each displacement to get the total displacement .

In the first part, displacement is $\Delta x_1=750\,\hat{j}$ (due north) and in the second part $\Delta x_2=250\,\hat{i}$ (due east). The total displacement vector is $\Delta x=\Delta x_1+\Delta x_2=750\,\hat{i}+250\,\hat{j}$ with magnitude of \begin{align*}|\Delta x|&=\sqrt{(750)^{2}+(250)^{2}}\\ \\&=790.5\,{\rm m}\end{align*} In addition, the total elapsed time is $t=12\times 60$ seconds. Therefore, the magnitude of the average velocity is \[\bar{v}=\frac{790.5}{12\times 60}=1.09\,{\rm m/s}\]

Problem (5): An object moves along a straight line. First, it travels at a velocity of $12\,{\rm m/s}$ for $5\,{\rm s}$ and then continues in the same direction with $20\,{\rm m/s}$ for $3\,{\rm s}$. What is its average speed?

Solution: Average velocity is displacement divided by elapsed time, i.e., $\bar{v}\equiv \frac{\Delta x_{tot}}{\Delta t_{tot}}$.

Here, the object goes through two stages with two different displacements, so add them to find the total displacement. Thus,\[\bar{v}=\frac{x_1 + x_2}{t_1 +t_2}\] Again, to find the displacement, we use the same equation as the average velocity formula, i.e., $x=vt$. Thus, displacements are obtained as $x_1=v_1\,t_1=12\times 5=60\,{\rm m}$ and $x_2=v_2\,t_2=20\times 3=60\,{\rm m}$. Therefore, we have \begin{align*} \bar{v}&=\frac{x_1+x_2}{t_1+t_2}\\ \\&=\frac{60+60}{5+3}\\ \\&=\boxed{15\,{\rm m/s}}\end{align*}

Problem (6): A plane flies the distance between two cities in $1$ hour and $30$ minutes with a velocity of $900\,{\rm km/h}$. Another plane covers that distance at $600\,{\rm km/h}$. What is the flight time of the second plane?

Solution: first find the distance between two cities using the average velocity formula $\bar{v}=\frac{\Delta x}{\Delta t}$ as below \begin{align*} x&=vt\\&=900\times 1.5\\&=1350\,{\rm km}\end{align*} where we wrote one hour and a half minutes as $1.5\,\rm h$. Now use again the same kinematic equation above to find the time required for another plane \begin{align*} t&=\frac xv\\ \\ &=\frac{1350\,\rm km}{600\,\rm km/h}\\ \\&=2.25\,{\rm h}\end{align*} Thus, the time for the second plane is $2$ hours and $0.25$ of an hour, which converts to minutes as $2$ hours and ($0.25\times 60=15$) minutes.

Problem (7): To reach a park located south of his jogging path, Henry runs along a 15-kilometer route. If he completes the journey in 1.5 hours, determine his speed and velocity.

Solution: Henry travels his route to the park without changing direction along a straight line. Therefore, the total distance traveled in one direction equals the displacement, i.e, \[\text{distance traveled}=\Delta x=15\,\rm km\]Velocity is displacement divided by the time of travel \begin{align*} \text{velocity}&=\frac{\text{displacement}}{\text{time of travel}} \\\\ &=\frac{15\,\rm km}{1.5\,\rm h} \\\\ &=\boxed{10\,\rm km/h}\end{align*} and by definition, its average speed is \begin{align*} \text{speed}&=\frac{\text{distance covered}}{\text{time interval}}\\\\&=\frac{15\,\rm km}{1.5\,\rm h}\\\\&=\boxed{10\,\rm km/h}\end{align*} Thus, Henry's velocity is $10\,\rm km/h$ to the south, and its speed is $10\,\rm km/h$. As you can see, speed is simply a positive number, with units but velocity specifies the direction in which the object is moving.

Problem (8): In 15 seconds, a football player covers the distance from his team's goal line to the opposing team's goal line and back to the midway point of the field having 100-yard-length. Find, (a) his average speed, and (b) the magnitude of the average velocity.

Solution: The total length of the football field is $100$ yards or in meters, $L=91.44\,\rm m$. Going from one goal's line to the other and back to the midpoint of the field takes $15\,\rm s$ and covers a distance of $D=100+50=150\,\rm yd$.

average speed and velocity at football field

Distance divided by the time of travel gets the average speed, \[\text{speed}=\frac{150\times 0.91}{15}=9.1\,\rm m/s\] To find the average velocity, we must find the displacement of the player between the initial and final points.

The initial point is her own goal line and her final position is the midpoint of the field, so she has displaced a distance of $\Delta x=50\,\rm yd$ or $\Delta x=50\times 0.91=45.5\,\rm m$. Therefore, her velocity is calculated as follows \begin{align*} \text{velocity}&=\frac{\text{displacement}}{\text{time elapsed}} \\\\ &=\frac{45.5\,\rm m}{15\,\rm s} \\\\&=\boxed{3.03\quad \rm m/s}\end{align*} Contrary to the previous problem, here the motion is not in one direction, hence, the displacement is not equal to the distance traveled. Accordingly, the average speed is not equal to the magnitude of the average velocity.

Problem (9): You begin at a pillar and run towards the east (the positive $x$ direction) for $250\,\rm m$ at an average speed of $5\,\rm m/s$. After that, you run towards the west for $300\,\rm m$ at an average speed of $4\,\rm m/s$ until you reach a post. Calculate (a) your average speed from pillar to post, and (b) your average velocity from pillar to post.

Solution : First, you traveled a distance of $L_1=250\,\rm m$ toward east (or $+x$ direction) at $5\,\rm m/s$. Time of travel in this route is obtained as follows \begin{align*} t_1&=\frac{L_1}{v_1}\\\\ &=\frac{250}{5}\\\\&=50\,\rm s\end{align*} Likewise, traveling a distance of $L_2=300\,\rm m$ at $v_2=4\,\rm m/s$ takes \[t_2=\frac{300}{4}=75\,\rm s\] (a) Average speed is defined as the distance traveled (or path length) divided by the total time of travel \begin{align*} v&=\frac{\text{path length}}{\text{time of travel}} \\\\ &=\frac{L_1+L_2}{t_1+t_2}\\\\&=\frac{250+300}{50+75} \\\\&=4.4\,\rm m/s\end{align*} Therefore, you travel between these two pillars in $125\,\rm s$ and with an average speed of $4.4\,\rm m/s$.

(b) Average velocity requires finding the displacement between those two points. In the first case, you move $250\,\rm m$ toward $+x$ direction, i.e., $L_1=+250\,\rm m$. Similarly, on the way back, you move $300\,\rm m$ toward the west ($-x$ direction) or $L_2=-300\,\rm m$. Adding these two gives us the total displacement between the initial point and the final point, \begin{align*} L&=L_1+L_2 \\\\&=(+250)+(-300) \\\\ &=-50\,\rm m\end{align*} The minus sign indicates that you are generally displaced toward the west.

Finally, the average velocity is obtained as follows: \begin{align*} \text{average velocity}&=\frac{\text{displacement}}{\text{time of travel}} \\\\ &=\frac{-50}{125} \\\\&=-0.4\,\rm m/s\end{align*} A negative average velocity indicating motion to the left along the $x$-axis.

This speed problem better makes it clear to us the difference between average speed and average speed. Unlike average speed, which is always a positive number, the average velocity in a straight line can be either positive or negative.

Problem (10): What is the average speed for the round trip of a car moving uphill at 40 km/h and then back downhill at 60 km/h?

Solution : Assuming the length of the hill to be $L$, the total distance traveled during this round trip is $2L$ since $L_{up}=L_{down}=L$. However, the time taken for going uphill and downhill was not provided. We can write them in terms of the hill's length $L$ as $t=\frac L v$.

Applying the definition of average speed gives us \begin{align*} v&=\frac{\text{distance traveled}}{\text{total time}} \\\\ &=\frac{L_{up}+L_{down}}{t_{up}+t_{down}} \\\\ &=\cfrac{2L}{\cfrac{L}{v_{up}}+\cfrac{L}{v_{down}}} \end{align*} By reorganizing this expression, we obtain a formula that is useful for solving similar problems in the AP Physics 1 exams. \[\text{average speed}=\frac{2v_{up} \times v_{down}}{v_{up}+v_{down}}\] Substituting the numerical values into this, yields \begin{align*} v&=\frac{2(40\times 60)}{40+60} \\\\ &=\boxed{48\,\rm m/s}\end{align*} What if we were asked for the average velocity instead? During this round trip, the car returns to its original position, and thus its displacement, which defines the average velocity, is zero. Therefore, \[\text{average velocity}=0\,\rm m/s\]

Acceleration Problems

Problem (9): A car moves from rest to a speed of $45\,\rm m/s$ in a time interval of $15\,\rm s$. At what rate does the car accelerate?

Solution : The car is initially at rest, $v_1=0$, and finally reaches $v_2=45\,\rm m/s$ in a time interval $\Delta t=15\,\rm s$. Average acceleration is the change in velocity, $\Delta v=v_2-v_1$, divided by the elapsed time $\Delta t$, so \[\bar{a}=\frac{45-0}{15}=\boxed{3\,\rm m/s^2} \]

Problem (10): A car moving at a velocity of $15\,{\rm m/s}$, uniformly slows down. It comes to a complete stop in $10\,{\rm s}$. What is its acceleration?

Solution: Let the car's uniform velocity be $v_1$ and its final velocity $v_2=0$. Average acceleration is the difference in velocities divided by the time taken, so we have: \begin{align*}\bar{a}&=\frac{\Delta v}{\Delta t}\\\\&=\frac{v_2-v_1}{\Delta t}\\\\&=\frac{0-15}{10}\\\\ &=\boxed{-1.5\,{\rm m/s^2}}\end{align*}The minus sign indicates the direction of the acceleration vector, which is toward the $-x$ direction.

Problem (11): A car moves from rest to a speed of $72\,{\rm km/h}$ in $4\,{\rm s}$. Find the acceleration of the car.

Solution: Known: $v_1=0$, $v_2=72\,{\rm km/h}$, $\Delta t=4\,{\rm s}$. Average acceleration is defined as the difference in velocities divided by the time interval between those points \begin{align*}\bar{a}&=\frac{v_2-v_1}{t_2-t_1}\\\\&=\frac{20-0}{4}\\\\&=5\,{\rm m/s^2}\end{align*} In above, we converted $\rm km/h$ to the SI unit of velocity ($\rm m/s$) as \[1\,\frac{km}{h}=\frac {1000\,m}{3600\,s}=\frac{10}{36}\, \rm m/s\] so we get \[72\,\rm km/h=72\times \frac{10}{36}=20\,\rm m/s\]

Problem (12): A race car accelerates from an initial velocity of $v_i=10\,{\rm m/s}$ to a final velocity of $v_f = 30\,{\rm m/s}$ in a time interval of $2\,{\rm s}$. Determine its average acceleration.

Solution: A change in the velocity of an object $\Delta v$ over a time interval $\Delta t$ is defined as an average acceleration. Known: $v_i=10\,{\rm m/s}$, $v_f = 30\,{\rm m/s}$, $\Delta t=2\,{\rm s}$. Applying definition of average acceleration, we get \begin{align*}\bar{a}&=\frac{v_f-v_i}{\Delta t}\\&=\frac{30-10}{2}\\&=10\,{\rm m/s^2}\end{align*}

Problem (13): A motorcycle starts its trip along a straight line with a velocity of $10\,{\rm m/s}$ and ends with $20\,{\rm m/s}$ in the opposite direction in a time interval of $2\,{\rm s}$. What is the average acceleration of the car?

Solution: Known: $v_i=10\,{\rm m/s}$, $v_f=-20\,{\rm m/s}$, $\Delta t=2\,{\rm s}$, $\bar{a}=?$. Using average acceleration definition we have \begin{align*}\bar{a}&=\frac{v_f-v_i}{\Delta t}\\\\&=\frac{(-20)-10}{2}\\\\ &=\boxed{-15\,{\rm m/s^2}}\end{align*}Recall that in the definition above, velocities are vector quantities. The final velocity is in the opposite direction from the initial velocity so a negative must be included.

Problem (14): A ball is thrown vertically up into the air by a boy. After $4$ seconds, it reaches the highest point of its path. How fast does the ball leave the boy's hand?

Solution : At the highest point, the ball has zero speed, $v_2=0$. It takes the ball $4\,\rm s$ to reach that point. In this problem, our unknown is the initial speed of the ball, $v_1=?$. Here, the ball accelerates at a constant rate of $g=-9.8\,\rm m/s^2$ in the presence of gravity.

When the ball is tossed upward, the only external force that acts on it is the gravity force.

Using the average acceleration formula $\bar{a}=\frac{\Delta v}{\Delta t}$ and substituting the numerical values into this, we will have \begin{gather*} \bar{a}=\frac{\Delta v}{\Delta t} \\\\ -9.8=\frac{0-v_1}{4} \\\\ \Rightarrow \boxed{v_1=39.2\,\rm m/s} \end{gather*} Note that $\Delta v=v_2-v_1$.

Problem (15): A child drops crumpled paper from a window. The paper hit the ground in $3\,\rm s$. What is the velocity of the crumpled paper just before it strikes the ground?

Solution : The crumpled paper is initially in the child's hand, so $v_1=0$. Let its speed just before striking be $v_2$. In this case, we have an object accelerating down in the presence of gravitational force at a constant rate of $g=-9.8\,\rm m/s^2$. Using the definition of average acceleration, we can find $v_2$ as below \begin{gather*} \bar{a}=\frac{\Delta v}{\Delta t} \\\\ -9.8=\frac{v_2-0}{3} \\\\ \Rightarrow v_2=3\times (-9.8)=\boxed{-29.4\,\rm m/s} \end{gather*} The negative shows us that the velocity must be downward, as expected!

Problem (16): A car travels along the $x$-axis for $4\,{\rm s}$ at an average velocity of $10\,{\rm m/s}$ and $2\,{\rm s}$ with an average velocity of $30\,{\rm m/s}$ and finally $4\,{\rm s}$ with an average velocity $25\,{\rm m/s}$. What is its average velocity across the whole path?

Solution: There are three different parts with different average velocities. Assume each trip is done in one dimension without changing direction. Thus, displacements associated with each segment are the same as the distance traveled in that direction and is calculated as below: \begin{align*}\Delta x_1&=v_1\,\Delta t_1\\&=10\times 4=40\,{\rm m}\\ \\ \Delta x_2&=v_2\,\Delta t_2\\&=30\times 2=60\,{\rm m}\\ \\ \Delta x_3&=v_3\,\Delta t_3\\&=25\times 4=100\,{\rm m}\end{align*}Now use the definition of average velocity, $\bar{v}=\frac{\Delta x_{tot}}{\Delta t_{tot}}$, to find it over the whole path\begin{align*}\bar{v}&=\frac{\Delta x_{tot}}{\Delta t_{tot}}\\ \\&=\frac{\Delta x_1+\Delta x_2+\Delta x_3}{\Delta t_1+\Delta t_2+\Delta t_3}\\ \\&=\frac{40+60+100}{4+2+4}\\ \\ &=\boxed{20\,{\rm m/s}}\end{align*}

Problem (17): An object moving along a straight-line path. It travels with an average velocity $2\,{\rm m/s}$ for $20\,{\rm s}$ and $12\,{\rm m/s}$ for $t$ seconds. If the total average velocity across the whole path is $10\,{\rm m/s}$, then find the unknown time $t$.

Solution: In this velocity problem, the whole path $\Delta x$ is divided into two parts $\Delta x_1$ and $\Delta x_2$ with different average velocities and times elapsed, so the total average velocity across the whole path is obtained as \begin{align*}\bar{v}&=\frac{\Delta x}{\Delta t}\\\\&=\frac{\Delta x_1+\Delta x_2}{\Delta t_1+\Delta t_2}\\\\&=\frac{\bar{v}_1\,t_1+\bar{v}_2\,t_2}{t_1+t_2}\\\\10&=\frac{2\times 20+12\times t}{20+t}\\\Rightarrow t&=80\,{\rm s}\end{align*}

Note : whenever a moving object, covers distances $x_1,x_2,x_3,\cdots$ in $t_1,t_2,t_3,\cdots$ with constant or average velocities $v_1,v_2,v_3,\cdots$ along a straight-line without changing its direction, then its total average velocity across the whole path is obtained by one of the following formulas

Distances and times are known:\[\bar{v}=\frac{x_1+x_2+x_3+\cdots}{t_1+t_2+t_3+\cdots}\]
Velocities and times are known: \[\bar{v}=\frac{v_1\,t_1+v_2\,t_2+v_3\,t_3+\cdots}{t_1+t_2+t_3+\cdots}\]
Distances and velocities are known:\[\bar{v}=\frac{x_1+x_2+x_3+\cdots}{\frac{x_1}{v_1}+\frac{x_2}{v_2}+\frac{x_3}{v_3}+\cdots}\]

Problem (18): A car travels one-fourth of its path with a constant velocity of $10\,{\rm m/s}$, and the remaining with a constant velocity of $v_2$. If the total average velocity across the whole path is $16\,{\rm m/s}$, then find the $v_2$?

Solution: This is the third case of the preceding note. Let the length of the path be $L$ so \begin{align*}\bar{v}&=\frac{x_1+x_2}{\frac{x_1}{v_1}+\frac{x_2}{v_2}}\\\\16&=\frac{\frac 14\,L+\frac 34\,L}{\frac{\frac 14\,L}{10}+\frac{\frac 34\,L}{v_2}}\\\\\Rightarrow v_2&=20\,{\rm m/s}\end{align*}

Problem (19): An object moves along a straight-line path. It travels for $t_1$ seconds with an average velocity $50\,{\rm m/s}$ and $t_2$ seconds with a constant velocity of $25\,{\rm m/s}$. If the total average velocity across the whole path is $30\,{\rm m/s}$, then find the ratio $\frac{t_2}{t_1}$?

Solution: the velocities and times are known, so we have \begin{align*}\bar{v}&=\frac{v_1\,t_1+v_2\,t_2}{t_1+t_2}\\\\30&=\frac{50\,t_1+25\,t_2}{t_1+t_2}\\\\ \Rightarrow \frac{t_2}{t_1}&=4\end{align*}

Physics Problems with Solutions

Velocity and speed: solutions to problems.

Solutions to the problems on velocity and speed of moving objects. More tutorials can be found in this website.

A man walks 7 km in 2 hours and 2 km in 1 hour in the same direction. a) What is the man's average speed for the whole journey? b) What is the man's average velocity for the whole journey? Solution to Problem 1: a)

You start walking from a point on a circular field of radius 0.5 km and 1 hour later you are at the same point. a) What is your average speed for the whole journey? b) What is your average velocity for the whole journey? Solution to Problem 3: a) If you walk around a circular field and come back to the same point, you have covered a distance equal to the circumference of the circle.

John drove South 120 km at 60 km/h and then East 150 km at 50 km/h. Determine a) the average speed for the whole journey? b) the magnitude of the average velocity for the whole journey? Solution to Problem 4: a)

If I can walk at an average speed of 5 km/h, how many miles I can walk in two hours? Solution to Problem 5: distance = (average speed) * (time) = 5 km/h * 2 hours = 10 km using the rate of conversion 0.62 miles per km, the distance in miles is given by distance = 10 km * 0.62 miles/km = 6.2 miles

A train travels along a straight line at a constant speed of 60 mi/h for a distance d and then another distance equal to 2d in the same direction at a constant speed of 80 mi/h. a)What is the average speed of the train for the whole journey?

A car travels 22 km south, 12 km west, and 14 km north in half an hour. a) What is the average speed of the car? b) What is the final displacement of the car? c) What is the average velocity of the car?

Solution to Problem 7: a)

Solution to Problem 8: a)

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Problems on Calculating Speed | Speed Questions and Answers

Solve different types of problems on calculating speed and get acquainted with various models of questions asked in your exams. Be aware of the Formula to Calculate and Relationship between Speed Time and Distance. Practice Speed Problems on a regular basis so that you can be confident while attempting the exams. We even provided solutions for all the Questions provided and explained everything in detail for better understanding. Try to solve the Speed Questions on your own and then cross-check where you are lagging.

We know the Speed of the Object is nothing but the distance traveled by the object in unit time.

Formula to find out Speed is given by Speed = Distance/Time

Word Problems on Calculating Speed

1. A man walks 25 km in 6 hours. Find the speed of the man?

Solution: Distance traveled = 25 km Time taken to travel = 6 hours Speed of Man = Distance traveled/Time taken = 25km/6hr = 4.16 km/hr Therefore, a man travels at a speed of 4.16 km/hr

2. A car covers a distance of 420 m in 1 minute whereas a train covers 70 km in 30 minutes. Find the ratio of their speeds?

Solution: Speed of the Car = Distance Traveled/Time Taken = 420m/60 sec = 7 m/sec

Speed of the Train = Distance Traveled/Time Taken = 70 km/1/2 hr = 140 km/hr

To convert it into m/sec multiply with 5/18 = 140*5/18 = 38.8 m/sec = 39 m/sec (Approx) Ratio of Speeds = 7:39

3. A car moves from A to B at a speed of 70 km/hr and comes back from B to A at a speed of 40 km/hr. Find its average speed during the journey?

Solution: Since the distance traveled is the same the Average Speed= (x+y)/2 where x, y are two different speeds Substitute the Speeds in the given formula Average Speed = (70+40)/2 = 110/2 = 55 km/hr The Average Speed of the Car is 55 km/hr

4. A bus covers a certain distance in 45 minutes if it runs at a speed of 50 km/hr. What must be the speed of the bus in order to reduce the time of journey by 20 minutes?

Solution: Speed = Distance/Time 50 = x/3/4 50 = 4x/3 4x = 150 x = 150/4 = 37.5 km

Now by applying the same formula we can find the speed

Now, time = 40 mins or 0.66 hr since the journey is reduced by 20 mins

S = Distance/Time = 37.5/0.66 = 56.81 km/hr

5. Ram traveled 200 km in 3 hours by train and then traveled 140 km in 3 hours by car and 5 km in 1/2 hour by cycle. What is the average speed during the whole journey?

Solution: Distance traveled by Train is 200 km in 3 hours Distance Traveled by Car is 140 km in 3 hours Distance Traveled by Cycle is 5 km in 1/2 hour Average Speed = Total Distance/Total Time = (200+140+5)/(3+3+1/2) = 345/6 1/2 = 345/(13/2)” = 345*2/13 = 53.07 km/hr

6. A train covers 150 km in 3 hours. Find its speed?

Solution: Speed = Distance/Time = 150 km/3 hr = 50 km/hr Therefore, Speed of the Train is 50 km/hr.

Speed and Velocity

Speed is how fast something moves.

Velocity is speed with a direction .

Saying Ariel the Dog runs at 9 km/h (kilometers per hour) is a speed.

But saying he runs 9 km/h Westwards is a velocity.

Imagine something moving back and forth very fast: it has a high speed, but a low (or zero) velocity.

Speed is measured as distance moved over time.

Speed = Distance Time

Example: A car travels 50 km in one hour.

Its average speed is 50 km per hour (50 km/h)

Speed = Distance Time = 50 km 1 hour

We can also use these symbols:

Speed = Δs Δt

Where Δ (" Delta ") means "change in", and

s means distance ("s" for "space")
t means time

Example: You run 360 m in 60 seconds.

So your speed is 6 meters per second (6 m/s).

Speed is commonly measured in:

meters per second (m/s or m s -1 ), or
kilometers per hour (km/h or km h -1 )

A km is 1000 m, and there are 3600 seconds in an hour, so we can convert like this (see Unit Conversion Method to learn more):

So 1 m/s is equal to 3.6 km/h

Example: What is 20 m/s in km/h ?

20 m/s × 3.6 km/h 1 m/s = 72 km/h

Example: What is 120 km/h in m/s ?

120 km/h × 1 m/s 3.6 km/h = 33.333... m/s

Average vs Instantaneous Speed

The examples so far calculate average speed : how far something travels over a period of time.

But speed can change as time goes by. A car can go faster and slower, maybe even stop at lights.

So there is also instantaneous speed : the speed at an instant in time. We can try to measure it by using a very short span of time (the shorter the better).

Example: Sam uses a stopwatch and measures 1.6 seconds as the car travels between two posts 20 m apart. What is the instantaneous speed ?

Well, we don't know exactly, as the car may have been speeding up or slowing down during that time, but we can estimate:

20 m 1.6 s = 12.5 m/s = 45 km/h

It is really still an average, but is close to an instantaneous speed.

Constant Speed

When the speed does not change it is constant .

For constant speed, the average and instantaneous speeds are the same.

Because the direction is important velocity uses displacement instead of distance:

Velocity = Displacement Time in a direction.

Example: You walk from home to the shop in 100 seconds, what is your speed and what is your velocity?

Speed = 220 m 100 s = 2.2 m/s

Velocity = 130 m 100 s East = 1.3 m/s East

You forgot your money so you turn around and go back home in 120 more seconds: what is your round-trip speed and velocity?

The total time is 100 s + 120 s = 220 s:

Speed = 440 m 220 s = 2.0 m/s

Velocity = 0 m 220 s = 0 m/s

Yes, the velocity is zero as you ended up where you started.

Learn more at Vectors .

Motion is relative. When we say something is "at rest" or "moving at 4 m/s" we forget to say "in relation to me" or "in relation to the ground", etc.

Think about this: are you really standing still? You are on planet Earth which is spinning at 40,075 km per day (about 1675 km/h or 465 m/s), and moving around the Sun at about 100,000 km/h, which is itself moving through the Galaxy.

Next time you are out walking, imagine you are still and it is the world that moves under your feet. Feels great.

It is all relative!

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Participants will receive digital copies of David Veech’s book The C4 Process: Four vital steps to better work, along with digital masters of his C4 card and C4 worksheet (A3), and a set of standardized work worksheets to aid in the analysis of work-related problems.

Please bring with you to the workshop a set of real problems you have not yet solved in your organization. We will use several of these in interactive small-group sessions via Zoom breakout rooms.

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SYSTEMATIC TRAINING APPROACH

Hand-washing video.

As you watch this video, imagine your most experienced workers training others using this same, systematic way of training. Job Instruction is a skill that can be taught and the impact is dramatic!

High Speed Problem Solving - ABOUT THE FACILITATOR

David veech, author & thought leader.

David Veech teaches leaders how to Love, Learn, and Let go so they can create satisfying workplaces that engage the creative and productive power of people. Leaders who apply David’s lessons build great workplaces that enjoy higher productivity, profitability, and professionalism.

His messages inspire people to obliterate obstacles, accelerate innovation, and elevate performance leaving everyone motivated and engaged for the future.

His leadership and learning journey began as an officer in the US Army. He retired after 20 years’ service, but he never stops learning. He shares what he learns with hundreds of students and clients every year.

For over 30 years David has carefully studied leadership and work systems, looking for practical strategies his students or clients can effectively apply. In the Army, he taught leadership on the faculty at Stetson University and introduced Lean Six Sigma to the Defense Acquisition University.

Since retiring, he has served as teaching faculty at the University of Kentucky and the Ohio State University. He has built two successful international consulting firms whose clients include the US Postal Service, Owens Corning, Rolls-Royce, the Arizona Department of Economic Security, and Nationwide Insurance.

He is the author of two best-selling books: Leadersights: Creating Great Leaders Who Create Great Workplaces , and The C4 Process: Four Vital Steps to Better Work . He is an avid orienteer and an accredited cruise counselor with his own travel agency.

He’s been married to Mary for over 35 years. They have three adult children, 2 grandchildren, five dogs, a horse, and a herd of deer that Mary likes to keep fed through the winter.

———–

Website: https://www.leadersights.com/ Email: [email protected] Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidveech Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DSVLeadersights Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidveech/ Phone: 502-517-1845

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Chapter 8: Rational Expressions

8.8 Rate Word Problems: Speed, Distance and Time

Distance, rate and time problems are a standard application of linear equations. When solving these problems, use the relationship rate (speed or velocity) times time equals distance .

[latex]r\cdot t=d[/latex]

For example, suppose a person were to travel 30 km/h for 4 h. To find the total distance, multiply rate times time or (30km/h)(4h) = 120 km.

The problems to be solved here will have a few more steps than described above. So to keep the information in the problem organized, use a table. An example of the basic structure of the table is below:

The third column, distance, will always be filled in by multiplying the rate and time columns together. If given a total distance of both persons or trips, put this information in the distance column. Now use this table to set up and solve the following examples.

Example 8.8.1

Joey and Natasha start from the same point and walk in opposite directions. Joey walks 2 km/h faster than Natasha. After 3 hours, they are 30 kilometres apart. How fast did each walk?

The distance travelled by both is 30 km. Therefore, the equation to be solved is:

[latex]\begin{array}{rrrrrrl} 3r&+&3(r&+&2)&=&30 \\ 3r&+&3r&+&6&=&30 \\ &&&-&6&&-6 \\ \hline &&&&\dfrac{6r}{6}&=&\dfrac{24}{6} \\ \\ &&&&r&=&4 \text{ km/h} \end{array}[/latex]

This means that Natasha walks at 4 km/h and Joey walks at 6 km/h.

Example 8.8.2

Nick and Chloe left their campsite by canoe and paddled downstream at an average speed of 12 km/h. They turned around and paddled back upstream at an average rate of 4 km/h. The total trip took 1 hour. After how much time did the campers turn around downstream?

The distance travelled downstream is the same distance that they travelled upstream. Therefore, the equation to be solved is:

[latex]\begin{array}{rrlll} 12(t)&=&4(1&-&t) \\ 12t&=&4&-&4t \\ +4t&&&+&4t \\ \hline \dfrac{16t}{16}&=&\dfrac{4}{16}&& \\ \\ t&=&0.25&& \end{array}[/latex]

This means the campers paddled downstream for 0.25 h and spent 0.75 h paddling back.

Example 8.8.3

Terry leaves his house riding a bike at 20 km/h. Sally leaves 6 h later on a scooter to catch up with him travelling at 80 km/h. How long will it take her to catch up with him?

The distance travelled by both is the same. Therefore, the equation to be solved is:

[latex]\begin{array}{rrrrr} 20(t)&=&80(t&-&6) \\ 20t&=&80t&-&480 \\ -80t&&-80t&& \\ \hline \dfrac{-60t}{-60}&=&\dfrac{-480}{-60}&& \\ \\ t&=&8&& \end{array}[/latex]

This means that Terry travels for 8 h and Sally only needs 2 h to catch up to him.

Example 8.8.4

On a 130-kilometre trip, a car travelled at an average speed of 55 km/h and then reduced its speed to 40 km/h for the remainder of the trip. The trip took 2.5 h. For how long did the car travel 40 km/h?

[latex]\begin{array}{rrrrrrr} 55(t)&+&40(2.5&-&t)&=&130 \\ 55t&+&100&-&40t&=&130 \\ &-&100&&&&-100 \\ \hline &&&&\dfrac{15t}{15}&=&\dfrac{30}{15} \\ \\ &&&&t&=&2 \end{array}[/latex]

This means that the time spent travelling at 40 km/h was 0.5 h.

Distance, time and rate problems have a few variations that mix the unknowns between distance, rate and time. They generally involve solving a problem that uses the combined distance travelled to equal some distance or a problem in which the distances travelled by both parties is the same. These distance, rate and time problems will be revisited later on in this textbook where quadratic solutions are required to solve them.

For Questions 1 to 8, find the equations needed to solve the problems. Do not solve.

A is 60 kilometres from B. An automobile at A starts for B at the rate of 20 km/h at the same time that an automobile at B starts for A at the rate of 25 km/h. How long will it be before the automobiles meet?
Two automobiles are 276 kilometres apart and start to travel toward each other at the same time. They travel at rates differing by 5 km/h. If they meet after 6 h, find the rate of each.
Two trains starting at the same station head in opposite directions. They travel at the rates of 25 and 40 km/h, respectively. If they start at the same time, how soon will they be 195 kilometres apart?
Two bike messengers, Jerry and Susan, ride in opposite directions. If Jerry rides at the rate of 20 km/h, at what rate must Susan ride if they are 150 kilometres apart in 5 hours?
A passenger and a freight train start toward each other at the same time from two points 300 kilometres apart. If the rate of the passenger train exceeds the rate of the freight train by 15 km/h, and they meet after 4 hours, what must the rate of each be?
Two automobiles started travelling in opposite directions at the same time from the same point. Their rates were 25 and 35 km/h, respectively. After how many hours were they 180 kilometres apart?
A man having ten hours at his disposal made an excursion by bike, riding out at the rate of 10 km/h and returning on foot at the rate of 3 km/h. Find the distance he rode.
A man walks at the rate of 4 km/h. How far can he walk into the country and ride back on a trolley that travels at the rate of 20 km/h, if he must be back home 3 hours from the time he started?

Solve Questions 9 to 22.

A boy rides away from home in an automobile at the rate of 28 km/h and walks back at the rate of 4 km/h. The round trip requires 2 hours. How far does he ride?
A motorboat leaves a harbour and travels at an average speed of 15 km/h toward an island. The average speed on the return trip was 10 km/h. How far was the island from the harbour if the trip took a total of 5 hours?
A family drove to a resort at an average speed of 30 km/h and later returned over the same road at an average speed of 50 km/h. Find the distance to the resort if the total driving time was 8 hours.
As part of his flight training, a student pilot was required to fly to an airport and then return. The average speed to the airport was 90 km/h, and the average speed returning was 120 km/h. Find the distance between the two airports if the total flying time was 7 hours.
Sam starts travelling at 4 km/h from a campsite 2 hours ahead of Sue, who travels 6 km/h in the same direction. How many hours will it take for Sue to catch up to Sam?
A man travels 5 km/h. After travelling for 6 hours, another man starts at the same place as the first man did, following at the rate of 8 km/h. When will the second man overtake the first?
A motorboat leaves a harbour and travels at an average speed of 8 km/h toward a small island. Two hours later, a cabin cruiser leaves the same harbour and travels at an average speed of 16 km/h toward the same island. How many hours after the cabin cruiser leaves will it be alongside the motorboat?
A long distance runner started on a course, running at an average speed of 6 km/h. One hour later, a second runner began the same course at an average speed of 8 km/h. How long after the second runner started will they overtake the first runner?
Two men are travelling in opposite directions at the rate of 20 and 30 km/h at the same time and from the same place. In how many hours will they be 300 kilometres apart?
Two trains start at the same time from the same place and travel in opposite directions. If the rate of one is 6 km/h more than the rate of the other and they are 168 kilometres apart at the end of 4 hours, what is the rate of each?
Two cyclists start from the same point and ride in opposite directions. One cyclist rides twice as fast as the other. In three hours, they are 72 kilometres apart. Find the rate of each cyclist.
Two small planes start from the same point and fly in opposite directions. The first plane is flying 25 km/h slower than the second plane. In two hours, the planes are 430 kilometres apart. Find the rate of each plane.
On a 130-kilometre trip, a car travelled at an average speed of 55 km/h and then reduced its speed to 40 km/h for the remainder of the trip. The trip took a total of 2.5 hours. For how long did the car travel at 40 km/h?
Running at an average rate of 8 m/s, a sprinter ran to the end of a track and then jogged back to the starting point at an average of 3 m/s. The sprinter took 55 s to run to the end of the track and jog back. Find the length of the track.

Answer Key 8.8

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Real World Algebra by Edward Zaccaro

Algebra is often taught abstractly with little or no emphasis on what algebra is or how it can be used to solve real problems. Just as English can be translated into other languages, word problems can be "translated" into the math language of algebra and easily solved. Real World Algebra explains this process in an easy to understand format using cartoons and drawings. This makes self-learning easy for both the student and any teacher who never did quite understand algebra. Includes chapters on algebra and money, algebra and geometry, algebra and physics, algebra and levers and many more. Designed for children in grades 4-9 with higher math ability and interest but could be used by older students and adults as well. Contains 22 chapters with instruction and problems at three levels of difficulty.

Practice makes perfect. Practice math at IXL.com

Average Speed Problems

Related Pages Rate, Time, Distance Solving Speed, Time, Distance Problems Using Algebra More Algebra Lessons

In these lessons, we will learn how to solve word problems involving average speed.

There are three main types of average problems commonly encountered in school algebra: Average (Arithmetic Mean) Weighted Average and Average Speed.

How to calculate Average Speed?

The following diagram shows the formula for average speed. Scroll down the page for more examples and solutions on calculating the average speed.

Examples Of Average Speed Problems

Example: John drove for 3 hours at a rate of 50 miles per hour and for 2 hours at 60 miles per hour. What was his average speed for the whole journey?

Solution: Step 1: The formula for distance is

Distance = Rate × Time Total distance = 50 × 3 + 60 × 2 = 270

Step 2: Total time = 3 + 2 = 5

Step 3: Using the formula:

Answer: The average speed is 54 miles per hour.

Be careful! You will get the wrong answer if you add the two speeds and divide the answer by two.

How To Solve The Average Speed Problem?

How to calculate the average speed?

Example: The speed paradox: If I drive from Oxford to Cambridge at 40 miles per hour and then from Cambridge to Oxford at 60 miles per hour, what is my average speed for the whole journey?

How To Find The Average Speed For A Round Trip?

Example: On Alberto’s drive to his aunt’s house, the traffic was light, and he drove the 45-mile trip in one hour. However, the return trip took his two hours. What was his average trip for the round trip?

How To Find The Average Speed Of An Airplane With Good And Bad Weather?

Example: Mae took a non-stop flight to visit her grandmother. The 750-mile trip took three hours and 45 minutes. Because of the bad weather, the return trip took four hours and 45 minutes. What was her average speed for the round trip?

How To Relate Speed To Distance And Time?

If you are traveling in a car that travels 80km along a road in one hour, we say that you are traveling at an average of 80kn/h.

Average speed is the total distance divided by the total time for the trip. Therefore, speed is distance divided by time.

Instantaneous speed is the speed at which an object is traveling at any particular instant.

If the instantaneous speed of a car remains the same over a period of time, then we say that the car is traveling with constant speed.

The average speed of an object is the same as its instantaneous speed if that object is traveling at a constant speed.

How To Calculate Average Speed In Word Problems?

Example: Keri rollerblades to school, a total distance of 4.5km. She has to slow down twice to cross busy streets, but overall the journey takes her 0.65h. What is Keri’s average speed during the trip?

How To Use Average Speed To Calculate The Distance Traveled?

Example: Elle drives 169 miles from Sheffield to London. Her average speed is 65 mph. She leaves Sheffield at 6:30 a.m. Does she arrive in London by 9:00 a.m.?

How To Use Average Speed To Calculate The Time Taken?

Example: Marie Ann is trying to predict the time required to ride her bike to the nearby beach. She knows that the distance is 45 km and, from other trips, that she can usually average about 20 km/h. Predict how long the trip will take.

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Distance, Time and Speed Word Problems | GMAT GRE Maths

Before you get into distance, time and speed word problems, take a few minutes to read this first and understand: How to build your credit score in USA as an international student .

Problems involving Time, Distance and Speed are solved based on one simple formula.

Distance = Speed * Time

Which implies →

Speed = Distance / Time and

Time = Distance / Speed

Let us take a look at some simple examples of distance, time and speed problems. Example 1. A boy walks at a speed of 4 kmph. How much time does he take to walk a distance of 20 km?

Time = Distance / speed = 20/4 = 5 hours. Example 2. A cyclist covers a distance of 15 miles in 2 hours. Calculate his speed.

Speed = Distance/time = 15/2 = 7.5 miles per hour. Example 3. A car takes 4 hours to cover a distance, if it travels at a speed of 40 mph. What should be its speed to cover the same distance in 1.5 hours?

Distance covered = 4*40 = 160 miles

Speed required to cover the same distance in 1.5 hours = 160/1.5 = 106.66 mph Now, take a look at the following example:

Example 4. If a person walks at 4 mph, he covers a certain distance. If he walks at 9 mph, he covers 7.5 miles more. How much distance did he actually cover?

Now we can see that the direct application of our usual formula Distance = Speed * Time or its variations cannot be done in this case and we need to put in extra effort to calculate the given parameters.

Let us see how this question can be solved.

For these kinds of questions, a table like this might make it easier to solve.

Let the distance covered by that person be ‘d’.

Walking at 4 mph and covering a distance ‘d’ is done in a time of ‘d/4’

IF he walks at 9 mph, he covers 7.5 miles more than the actual distance d, which is ‘d+7.5’.

He does this in a time of (d+7.5)/9.

Since the time is same in both the cases →

d/4 = (d+7.5)/9 → 9d = 4(d+7.5) → 9d=4d+30 → d = 6.

So, he covered a distance of 6 miles in 1.5 hours. Example 5. A train is going at 1/3 of its usual speed and it takes an extra 30 minutes to reach its destination. Find its usual time to cover the same distance.

Here, we see that the distance is same.

Let us assume that its usual speed is ‘s’ and time is ‘t’, then

s*t = (1/3)s*(t+30) → t = t/3 + 10 → t = 15.

So the actual time taken to cover the distance is 15 minutes.

Note: Note the time is expressed in terms of ‘minutes’. When we express distance in terms of miles or kilometers, time is expressed in terms of hours and has to be converted into appropriate units of measurement.

Solved Questions on Trains

Example 1. X and Y are two stations which are 320 miles apart. A train starts at a certain time from X and travels towards Y at 70 mph. After 2 hours, another train starts from Y and travels towards X at 20 mph. At what time do they meet?

Let the time after which they meet be ‘t’ hours.

Then the time travelled by second train becomes ‘t-2’.

Distance covered by first train+Distance covered by second train = 320 miles

70t+20(t-2) = 320

Solving this gives t = 4.

So the two trains meet after 4 hours. Example 2. A train leaves from a station and moves at a certain speed. After 2 hours, another train leaves from the same station and moves in the same direction at a speed of 60 mph. If it catches up with the first train in 4 hours, what is the speed of the first train?

Let the speed of the first train be ‘s’.

Distance covered by the first train in (2+4) hours = Distance covered by second train in 4 hours

Therefore, 6s = 60*4

Solving which gives s=40.

So the slower train is moving at the rate of 40 mph.

Questions on Boats/Airplanes

For problems with boats and streams,

Speed of the boat upstream (against the current) = Speed of the boat in still water – speed of the stream

[As the stream obstructs the speed of the boat in still water, its speed has to be subtracted from the usual speed of the boat]

Speed of the boat downstream (along with the current) = Speed of the boat in still water + speed of the stream

[As the stream pushes the boat and makes it easier for the boat to reach the destination faster, speed of the stream has to be added]

Similarly, for airplanes travelling with/against the wind,

Speed of the plane with the wind = speed of the plane + speed of the wind

Speed of the plane against the wind = speed of the plane – speed of the wind

Let us look at some examples.

Example 1. A man travels at 3 mph in still water. If the current’s velocity is 1 mph, it takes 3 hours to row to a place and come back. How far is the place?

Let the distance be ‘d’ miles.

Time taken to cover the distance upstream + Time taken to cover the distance downstream = 3

Speed upstream = 3-1 = 2 mph

Speed downstream = 3+1 = 4 mph

So, our equation would be d/2 + d/4 = 3 → solving which, we get d = 4 miles. Example 2. With the wind, an airplane covers a distance of 2400 kms in 4 hours and against the wind in 6 hours. What is the speed of the plane and that of the wind?

Let the speed of the plane be ‘a’ and that of the wind be ‘w’.

Our table looks like this:

4(a+w) = 2400 and 6(a-w) = 2400

Expressing one unknown variable in terms of the other makes it easier to solve, which means

a+w = 600 → w=600-a

Substituting the value of w in the second equation,

a-(600-a) = 400 → a = 500

The speed of the plane is 500 kmph and that of the wind is 100 kmph.

More solved examples on Speed, Distance and Time

Example 1. A boy travelled by train which moved at the speed of 30 mph. He then boarded a bus which moved at the speed of 40 mph and reached his destination. The entire distance covered was 100 miles and the entire duration of the journey was 3 hours. Find the distance he travelled by bus.

Let the time taken by the train be ‘t’. Then that of bus is ‘3-t’.

The entire distance covered was 100 miles

So, 30t + 40(3-t) = 100

Solving which gives t=2.

Substituting the value of t in 40(3-t), we get the distance travelled by bus is 40 miles.

Alternatively, we can add the time and equate it to 3 hours, which directly gives the distance.

d/30 + (100-d)/40 = 3

Solving which gives d = 60, which is the distance travelled by train. 100-60 = 40 miles is the distance travelled by bus. Example 2. A plane covered a distance of 630 miles in 6 hours. For the first part of the trip, the average speed was 100 mph and for the second part of the trip, the average speed was 110 mph. what is the time it flew at each speed?

Our table looks like this.

Assuming the distance covered in the 1 st part of journey to be ‘d’, the distance covered in the second half becomes ‘630-d’.

Assuming the time taken for the first part of the journey to be ‘t’, the time taken for the second half becomes ‘6-t’.

From the first equation, d=100t

The second equation is 630-d = 110(6-t).

Substituting the value of d from the first equation, we get

630-100t = 110(6-t)

Solving this gives t=3.

So the plane flew the first part of the journey in 3 hours and the second part in 3 hours. Example 2. Two persons are walking towards each other on a walking path that is 20 miles long. One is walking at the rate of 3 mph and the other at 4 mph. After how much time will they meet each other?

Assuming the distance travelled by the first person to be ‘d’, the distance travelled by the second person is ’20-d’.

The time is ‘t’ for both of them because when they meet, they would have walked for the same time.

Since time is same, we can equate as

d/3 = (20-d)/4

Solving this gives d=60/7 miles (8.5 miles approximately)

Then t = 20/7 hours

So the two persons meet after 2 6/7 hours.

Practice Questions for you to solve

Problem 1: Click here

A boat covers a certain distance in 2 hours, while it comes back in 3 hours. If the speed of the stream is 4 kmph, what is the boat’s speed in still water?

A) 30 kmph B) 20 kmph C) 15 kmph D) 40 kmph

Answer 1: Click here

Explanation

Let the speed of the boat be ‘s’ kmph.

Then, 2(s+4) = 3(s-4) → s = 20

Problem 2: Click here

A cyclist travels for 3 hours, travelling for the first half of the journey at 12 mph and the second half at 15 mph. Find the total distance he covered.

A) 30 miles B) 35 miles C) 40 miles D) 180 miles

Answer 2: Click here

Since it is mentioned, that the first ‘half’ of the journey is covered in 12 mph and the second in 15, the equation looks like

(d/2)/12 + (d/2)/15 = 3

Solving this gives d = 40 miles

17 thoughts on “Distance, Time and Speed Word Problems | GMAT GRE Maths”

Meera walked to school at a speed of 3 miles per hour. Once she reached the school, she realized that she forgot to bring her books, so rushed back home at a speed of 6 miles per hour. She then walked back to school at a speed of 4 miles per hour. All the times, she walked in the same route. please explain above problem

When she walks faster the time she takes to reach her home and school is lower. There is nothing wrong with the statement. They never mentioned how long she took every time.

a man covers a distance on a toy train.if the train moved 4km/hr faster,it would take 30 min. less. if it moved 2km/hr slower, it would have taken 20 min. more .find the distance.

Let the speed be x. and time be y. A.T.Q, (x+4)(y-1/2)=d and (x-2)(y+1/3)=d. Equate these two and get the answer

Could you explain how ? you have two equations and there are 3 variables.

The 3rd equation is d=xy. Now, you have 3 equations with 3 unknowns. The variables x and y represent the usual speed and usual time to travel distance d.

Speed comes out to be 20 km/hr and the time taken is 3 hrs. The distance traveled is 60 km.

(s + 4) (t – 1/2)= st 1…new equotion = -1/2s + 4t = 2

(s – 2) (t + 1/3)= st 2…new equotion = 1/3s – 2t = 2/3

Multiply all by 6 1… -3s + 24t = 12 2… 2s – 12t = 4 Next, use elimination t= 3 Find s: -3s + 24t = 12 -3s + 24(3) = 12 -3s = -60 s= 20

st or distance = 3 x 20 = 60 km/h

It’s probably the average speed that we are looking for here. Ave. Speed= total distance/ total time. Since it’s harder to look for one variable since both are absent, you can use, 3d/ d( V2V3 + V1V3 + V1V2/ V1V2V3)

2 girls meenu and priya start at the same time to ride from madurai to manamadurai, 60 km away.meenu travels 4kmph slower than priya. priya reaches manamadurai and at turns back meeting meenu 12km from manamaduai. find meenu’s speed?

Hi, when the two girls meet, they have taken equal time to travel their respective distance. So, we just need to equate their time equations

Distance travelled by Meenu = 60 -12 = 48 Distance travelled by Priya = 60 + 12 = 72 Let ‘s’ be the speed of Meenu

Time taken by Meenu => t1 = 48/s Time taken by Priya => t2 = 72/(s+4)

t1=t2 Thus, 48/s = 72/(s+4) => 24s = 192 => s = 8Km/hr

A train can travel 50% faster than a car. Both start from point A at the same time and reach point B 75 KMS away from A at the same time. On the way, however the train lost about 12.5 minutes while stopping at the stations. The speed of the car is:

Let speed of the CAR BE x kmph.

Then, speed of the train = 3/2(x) .’. 75/x – 75/(3/2)x= 125/(10*60) — subtracting the times travelled by two them hence trains wastage time

therefore x= 120 kmph

A cyclist completes a distance of 60 km at the same speed throughout. She travels 10 km in one hour. She stops every 20 km for one hour to have a break. What are the two variables involved in this situation?

For the answer, not variables: 60km divided by 10km/h=6 hours 60 divided by 20= 3 hours 3 hours+6 hours= 9 hours Answer: 9 hours

Let the length of the train to prod past a point be the intrinsic distance (D) of the train and its speed be S. Its speed, S in passing the electric pole of negligible length is = D/12. The length of the platform added to the intrinsic length of the train. So, the total distance = D + 200. The time = 20 secs. The Speed, S = (D + 200)/20 At constant speed, D/12 = (D + 200)/20 Cross-multiplying, 20D = 12D + 200*12 20D – 12D = 200*12; 8D = 200*12 D = 200*12/8 = 300m. 4th Aug, 2018

Can anyone solve this? Nathan and Philip agree to meet up at the park at 5:00 pm. Nathan lives 300 m due north of the park, and Philip lives 500 m due west of the park. Philip leaves his house at 4:54 pm and walks towards the park at a pace of 1.5 m/s, but Nathan loses track of time and doesn’t leave until 4:59 pm. Trying to avoid being too late, he jogs towards the park at 2.5 m/s. At what rate is the distance between the two friends changing 30 seconds after Nathan has departed?

35 problem-solving techniques and methods for solving complex problems

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Closing activities for a problem-solving process.

Before you can move towards finding the right solution for a given problem, you first need to identify and define the problem you wish to solve.

Here, you want to clearly articulate what the problem is and allow your group to do the same. Remember that everyone in a group is likely to have differing perspectives and alignment is necessary in order to help the group move forward.

Identifying a problem accurately also requires that all members of a group are able to contribute their views in an open and safe manner. It can be scary for people to stand up and contribute, especially if the problems or challenges are emotive or personal in nature. Be sure to try and create a psychologically safe space for these kinds of discussions.

Remember that problem analysis and further discussion are also important. Not taking the time to fully analyze and discuss a challenge can result in the development of solutions that are not fit for purpose or do not address the underlying issue.

Successfully identifying and then analyzing a problem means facilitating a group through activities designed to help them clearly and honestly articulate their thoughts and produce usable insight.

With this data, you might then produce a problem statement that clearly describes the problem you wish to be addressed and also state the goal of any process you undertake to tackle this issue.

Finding solutions is the end goal of any process. Complex organizational challenges can only be solved with an appropriate solution but discovering them requires using the right problem-solving tool.

After you’ve explored a problem and discussed ideas, you need to help a team discuss and choose the right solution. Consensus tools and methods such as those below help a group explore possible solutions before then voting for the best. They’re a great way to tap into the collective intelligence of the group for great results!

Remember that the process is often iterative. Great problem solvers often roadtest a viable solution in a measured way to see what works too. While you might not get the right solution on your first try, the methods below help teams land on the most likely to succeed solution while also holding space for improvement.

Every effective problem solving process begins with an agenda . A well-structured workshop is one of the best methods for successfully guiding a group from exploring a problem to implementing a solution.

In SessionLab, it’s easy to go from an idea to a complete agenda . Start by dragging and dropping your core problem solving activities into place . Add timings, breaks and necessary materials before sharing your agenda with your colleagues.

The resulting agenda will be your guide to an effective and productive problem solving session that will also help you stay organized on the day!

Tips for more effective problem solving

Problem-solving activities are only one part of the puzzle. While a great method can help unlock your team’s ability to solve problems, without a thoughtful approach and strong facilitation the solutions may not be fit for purpose.

Let’s take a look at some problem-solving tips you can apply to any process to help it be a success!

Clearly define the problem

Jumping straight to solutions can be tempting, though without first clearly articulating a problem, the solution might not be the right one. Many of the problem-solving activities below include sections where the problem is explored and clearly defined before moving on.

This is a vital part of the problem-solving process and taking the time to fully define an issue can save time and effort later. A clear definition helps identify irrelevant information and it also ensures that your team sets off on the right track.

Don’t jump to conclusions

It’s easy for groups to exhibit cognitive bias or have preconceived ideas about both problems and potential solutions. Be sure to back up any problem statements or potential solutions with facts, research, and adequate forethought.

The best techniques ask participants to be methodical and challenge preconceived notions. Make sure you give the group enough time and space to collect relevant information and consider the problem in a new way. By approaching the process with a clear, rational mindset, you’ll often find that better solutions are more forthcoming.

Try different approaches

Problems come in all shapes and sizes and so too should the methods you use to solve them. If you find that one approach isn’t yielding results and your team isn’t finding different solutions, try mixing it up. You’ll be surprised at how using a new creative activity can unblock your team and generate great solutions.

Don’t take it personally

Depending on the nature of your team or organizational problems, it’s easy for conversations to get heated. While it’s good for participants to be engaged in the discussions, ensure that emotions don’t run too high and that blame isn’t thrown around while finding solutions.

You’re all in it together, and even if your team or area is seeing problems, that isn’t necessarily a disparagement of you personally. Using facilitation skills to manage group dynamics is one effective method of helping conversations be more constructive.

Get the right people in the room

Your problem-solving method is often only as effective as the group using it. Getting the right people on the job and managing the number of people present is important too!

If the group is too small, you may not get enough different perspectives to effectively solve a problem. If the group is too large, you can go round and round during the ideation stages.

Creating the right group makeup is also important in ensuring you have the necessary expertise and skillset to both identify and follow up on potential solutions. Carefully consider who to include at each stage to help ensure your problem-solving method is followed and positioned for success.

Document everything

The best solutions can take refinement, iteration, and reflection to come out. Get into a habit of documenting your process in order to keep all the learnings from the session and to allow ideas to mature and develop. Many of the methods below involve the creation of documents or shared resources. Be sure to keep and share these so everyone can benefit from the work done!

Bring a facilitator

Facilitation is all about making group processes easier. With a subject as potentially emotive and important as problem-solving, having an impartial third party in the form of a facilitator can make all the difference in finding great solutions and keeping the process moving. Consider bringing a facilitator to your problem-solving session to get better results and generate meaningful solutions!

Develop your problem-solving skills

It takes time and practice to be an effective problem solver. While some roles or participants might more naturally gravitate towards problem-solving, it can take development and planning to help everyone create better solutions.

You might develop a training program, run a problem-solving workshop or simply ask your team to practice using the techniques below. Check out our post on problem-solving skills to see how you and your group can develop the right mental process and be more resilient to issues too!

Design a great agenda

Workshops are a great format for solving problems. With the right approach, you can focus a group and help them find the solutions to their own problems. But designing a process can be time-consuming and finding the right activities can be difficult.

Check out our workshop planning guide to level-up your agenda design and start running more effective workshops. Need inspiration? Check out templates designed by expert facilitators to help you kickstart your process!

In this section, we’ll look at in-depth problem-solving methods that provide a complete end-to-end process for developing effective solutions. These will help guide your team from the discovery and definition of a problem through to delivering the right solution.

If you’re looking for an all-encompassing method or problem-solving model, these processes are a great place to start. They’ll ask your team to challenge preconceived ideas and adopt a mindset for solving problems more effectively.

Six Thinking Hats
Lightning Decision Jam
Problem Definition Process
Discovery & Action Dialogue

Design Sprint 2.0

Open Space Technology

1. Six Thinking Hats

Individual approaches to solving a problem can be very different based on what team or role an individual holds. It can be easy for existing biases or perspectives to find their way into the mix, or for internal politics to direct a conversation.

Six Thinking Hats is a classic method for identifying the problems that need to be solved and enables your team to consider them from different angles, whether that is by focusing on facts and data, creative solutions, or by considering why a particular solution might not work.

Like all problem-solving frameworks, Six Thinking Hats is effective at helping teams remove roadblocks from a conversation or discussion and come to terms with all the aspects necessary to solve complex problems.

2. Lightning Decision Jam

Featured courtesy of Jonathan Courtney of AJ&Smart Berlin, Lightning Decision Jam is one of those strategies that should be in every facilitation toolbox. Exploring problems and finding solutions is often creative in nature, though as with any creative process, there is the potential to lose focus and get lost.

Unstructured discussions might get you there in the end, but it’s much more effective to use a method that creates a clear process and team focus.

In Lightning Decision Jam, participants are invited to begin by writing challenges, concerns, or mistakes on post-its without discussing them before then being invited by the moderator to present them to the group.

From there, the team vote on which problems to solve and are guided through steps that will allow them to reframe those problems, create solutions and then decide what to execute on.

By deciding the problems that need to be solved as a team before moving on, this group process is great for ensuring the whole team is aligned and can take ownership over the next stages.

Lightning Decision Jam (LDJ) #action #decision making #problem solving #issue analysis #innovation #design #remote-friendly The problem with anything that requires creative thinking is that it’s easy to get lost—lose focus and fall into the trap of having useless, open-ended, unstructured discussions. Here’s the most effective solution I’ve found: Replace all open, unstructured discussion with a clear process. What to use this exercise for: Anything which requires a group of people to make decisions, solve problems or discuss challenges. It’s always good to frame an LDJ session with a broad topic, here are some examples: The conversion flow of our checkout Our internal design process How we organise events Keeping up with our competition Improving sales flow

3. Problem Definition Process

While problems can be complex, the problem-solving methods you use to identify and solve those problems can often be simple in design.

By taking the time to truly identify and define a problem before asking the group to reframe the challenge as an opportunity, this method is a great way to enable change.

Begin by identifying a focus question and exploring the ways in which it manifests before splitting into five teams who will each consider the problem using a different method: escape, reversal, exaggeration, distortion or wishful. Teams develop a problem objective and create ideas in line with their method before then feeding them back to the group.

This method is great for enabling in-depth discussions while also creating space for finding creative solutions too!

Problem Definition #problem solving #idea generation #creativity #online #remote-friendly A problem solving technique to define a problem, challenge or opportunity and to generate ideas.

4. The 5 Whys

Sometimes, a group needs to go further with their strategies and analyze the root cause at the heart of organizational issues. An RCA or root cause analysis is the process of identifying what is at the heart of business problems or recurring challenges.

The 5 Whys is a simple and effective method of helping a group go find the root cause of any problem or challenge and conduct analysis that will deliver results.

By beginning with the creation of a problem statement and going through five stages to refine it, The 5 Whys provides everything you need to truly discover the cause of an issue.

The 5 Whys #hyperisland #innovation This simple and powerful method is useful for getting to the core of a problem or challenge. As the title suggests, the group defines a problems, then asks the question “why” five times, often using the resulting explanation as a starting point for creative problem solving.

5. World Cafe

World Cafe is a simple but powerful facilitation technique to help bigger groups to focus their energy and attention on solving complex problems.

World Cafe enables this approach by creating a relaxed atmosphere where participants are able to self-organize and explore topics relevant and important to them which are themed around a central problem-solving purpose. Create the right atmosphere by modeling your space after a cafe and after guiding the group through the method, let them take the lead!

Making problem-solving a part of your organization’s culture in the long term can be a difficult undertaking. More approachable formats like World Cafe can be especially effective in bringing people unfamiliar with workshops into the fold.

World Cafe #hyperisland #innovation #issue analysis World Café is a simple yet powerful method, originated by Juanita Brown, for enabling meaningful conversations driven completely by participants and the topics that are relevant and important to them. Facilitators create a cafe-style space and provide simple guidelines. Participants then self-organize and explore a set of relevant topics or questions for conversation.

6. Discovery & Action Dialogue (DAD)

One of the best approaches is to create a safe space for a group to share and discover practices and behaviors that can help them find their own solutions.

With DAD, you can help a group choose which problems they wish to solve and which approaches they will take to do so. It’s great at helping remove resistance to change and can help get buy-in at every level too!

This process of enabling frontline ownership is great in ensuring follow-through and is one of the methods you will want in your toolbox as a facilitator.

Discovery & Action Dialogue (DAD) #idea generation #liberating structures #action #issue analysis #remote-friendly DADs make it easy for a group or community to discover practices and behaviors that enable some individuals (without access to special resources and facing the same constraints) to find better solutions than their peers to common problems. These are called positive deviant (PD) behaviors and practices. DADs make it possible for people in the group, unit, or community to discover by themselves these PD practices. DADs also create favorable conditions for stimulating participants’ creativity in spaces where they can feel safe to invent new and more effective practices. Resistance to change evaporates as participants are unleashed to choose freely which practices they will adopt or try and which problems they will tackle. DADs make it possible to achieve frontline ownership of solutions.

7. Design Sprint 2.0

Want to see how a team can solve big problems and move forward with prototyping and testing solutions in a few days? The Design Sprint 2.0 template from Jake Knapp, author of Sprint, is a complete agenda for a with proven results.

Developing the right agenda can involve difficult but necessary planning. Ensuring all the correct steps are followed can also be stressful or time-consuming depending on your level of experience.

Use this complete 4-day workshop template if you are finding there is no obvious solution to your challenge and want to focus your team around a specific problem that might require a shortcut to launching a minimum viable product or waiting for the organization-wide implementation of a solution.

8. Open space technology

Open space technology- developed by Harrison Owen – creates a space where large groups are invited to take ownership of their problem solving and lead individual sessions. Open space technology is a great format when you have a great deal of expertise and insight in the room and want to allow for different takes and approaches on a particular theme or problem you need to be solved.

Start by bringing your participants together to align around a central theme and focus their efforts. Explain the ground rules to help guide the problem-solving process and then invite members to identify any issue connecting to the central theme that they are interested in and are prepared to take responsibility for.

Once participants have decided on their approach to the core theme, they write their issue on a piece of paper, announce it to the group, pick a session time and place, and post the paper on the wall. As the wall fills up with sessions, the group is then invited to join the sessions that interest them the most and which they can contribute to, then you’re ready to begin!

Everyone joins the problem-solving group they’ve signed up to, record the discussion and if appropriate, findings can then be shared with the rest of the group afterward.

Open Space Technology #action plan #idea generation #problem solving #issue analysis #large group #online #remote-friendly Open Space is a methodology for large groups to create their agenda discerning important topics for discussion, suitable for conferences, community gatherings and whole system facilitation

Techniques to identify and analyze problems

Using a problem-solving method to help a team identify and analyze a problem can be a quick and effective addition to any workshop or meeting.

While further actions are always necessary, you can generate momentum and alignment easily, and these activities are a great place to get started.

We’ve put together this list of techniques to help you and your team with problem identification, analysis, and discussion that sets the foundation for developing effective solutions.

Let’s take a look!

The Creativity Dice
Fishbone Analysis
Problem Tree
SWOT Analysis
Agreement-Certainty Matrix
The Journalistic Six
LEGO Challenge
What, So What, Now What?
Journalists

Individual and group perspectives are incredibly important, but what happens if people are set in their minds and need a change of perspective in order to approach a problem more effectively?

Flip It is a method we love because it is both simple to understand and run, and allows groups to understand how their perspectives and biases are formed.

Participants in Flip It are first invited to consider concerns, issues, or problems from a perspective of fear and write them on a flip chart. Then, the group is asked to consider those same issues from a perspective of hope and flip their understanding.

No problem and solution is free from existing bias and by changing perspectives with Flip It, you can then develop a problem solving model quickly and effectively.

Flip It! #gamestorming #problem solving #action Often, a change in a problem or situation comes simply from a change in our perspectives. Flip It! is a quick game designed to show players that perspectives are made, not born.

10. The Creativity Dice

One of the most useful problem solving skills you can teach your team is of approaching challenges with creativity, flexibility, and openness. Games like The Creativity Dice allow teams to overcome the potential hurdle of too much linear thinking and approach the process with a sense of fun and speed.

In The Creativity Dice, participants are organized around a topic and roll a dice to determine what they will work on for a period of 3 minutes at a time. They might roll a 3 and work on investigating factual information on the chosen topic. They might roll a 1 and work on identifying the specific goals, standards, or criteria for the session.

Encouraging rapid work and iteration while asking participants to be flexible are great skills to cultivate. Having a stage for idea incubation in this game is also important. Moments of pause can help ensure the ideas that are put forward are the most suitable.

The Creativity Dice #creativity #problem solving #thiagi #issue analysis Too much linear thinking is hazardous to creative problem solving. To be creative, you should approach the problem (or the opportunity) from different points of view. You should leave a thought hanging in mid-air and move to another. This skipping around prevents premature closure and lets your brain incubate one line of thought while you consciously pursue another.

11. Fishbone Analysis

Organizational or team challenges are rarely simple, and it’s important to remember that one problem can be an indication of something that goes deeper and may require further consideration to be solved.

Fishbone Analysis helps groups to dig deeper and understand the origins of a problem. It’s a great example of a root cause analysis method that is simple for everyone on a team to get their head around.

Participants in this activity are asked to annotate a diagram of a fish, first adding the problem or issue to be worked on at the head of a fish before then brainstorming the root causes of the problem and adding them as bones on the fish.

Using abstractions such as a diagram of a fish can really help a team break out of their regular thinking and develop a creative approach.

Fishbone Analysis #problem solving ##root cause analysis #decision making #online facilitation A process to help identify and understand the origins of problems, issues or observations.

12. Problem Tree

Encouraging visual thinking can be an essential part of many strategies. By simply reframing and clarifying problems, a group can move towards developing a problem solving model that works for them.

In Problem Tree, groups are asked to first brainstorm a list of problems – these can be design problems, team problems or larger business problems – and then organize them into a hierarchy. The hierarchy could be from most important to least important or abstract to practical, though the key thing with problem solving games that involve this aspect is that your group has some way of managing and sorting all the issues that are raised.

Once you have a list of problems that need to be solved and have organized them accordingly, you’re then well-positioned for the next problem solving steps.

Problem tree #define intentions #create #design #issue analysis A problem tree is a tool to clarify the hierarchy of problems addressed by the team within a design project; it represents high level problems or related sublevel problems.

13. SWOT Analysis

Chances are you’ve heard of the SWOT Analysis before. This problem-solving method focuses on identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats is a tried and tested method for both individuals and teams.

Start by creating a desired end state or outcome and bare this in mind – any process solving model is made more effective by knowing what you are moving towards. Create a quadrant made up of the four categories of a SWOT analysis and ask participants to generate ideas based on each of those quadrants.

Once you have those ideas assembled in their quadrants, cluster them together based on their affinity with other ideas. These clusters are then used to facilitate group conversations and move things forward.

SWOT analysis #gamestorming #problem solving #action #meeting facilitation The SWOT Analysis is a long-standing technique of looking at what we have, with respect to the desired end state, as well as what we could improve on. It gives us an opportunity to gauge approaching opportunities and dangers, and assess the seriousness of the conditions that affect our future. When we understand those conditions, we can influence what comes next.

14. Agreement-Certainty Matrix

Not every problem-solving approach is right for every challenge, and deciding on the right method for the challenge at hand is a key part of being an effective team.

The Agreement Certainty matrix helps teams align on the nature of the challenges facing them. By sorting problems from simple to chaotic, your team can understand what methods are suitable for each problem and what they can do to ensure effective results.

If you are already using Liberating Structures techniques as part of your problem-solving strategy, the Agreement-Certainty Matrix can be an invaluable addition to your process. We’ve found it particularly if you are having issues with recurring problems in your organization and want to go deeper in understanding the root cause.

Agreement-Certainty Matrix #issue analysis #liberating structures #problem solving You can help individuals or groups avoid the frequent mistake of trying to solve a problem with methods that are not adapted to the nature of their challenge. The combination of two questions makes it possible to easily sort challenges into four categories: simple, complicated, complex , and chaotic . A problem is simple when it can be solved reliably with practices that are easy to duplicate. It is complicated when experts are required to devise a sophisticated solution that will yield the desired results predictably. A problem is complex when there are several valid ways to proceed but outcomes are not predictable in detail. Chaotic is when the context is too turbulent to identify a path forward. A loose analogy may be used to describe these differences: simple is like following a recipe, complicated like sending a rocket to the moon, complex like raising a child, and chaotic is like the game “Pin the Tail on the Donkey.” The Liberating Structures Matching Matrix in Chapter 5 can be used as the first step to clarify the nature of a challenge and avoid the mismatches between problems and solutions that are frequently at the root of chronic, recurring problems.

Organizing and charting a team’s progress can be important in ensuring its success. SQUID (Sequential Question and Insight Diagram) is a great model that allows a team to effectively switch between giving questions and answers and develop the skills they need to stay on track throughout the process.

Begin with two different colored sticky notes – one for questions and one for answers – and with your central topic (the head of the squid) on the board. Ask the group to first come up with a series of questions connected to their best guess of how to approach the topic. Ask the group to come up with answers to those questions, fix them to the board and connect them with a line. After some discussion, go back to question mode by responding to the generated answers or other points on the board.

It’s rewarding to see a diagram grow throughout the exercise, and a completed SQUID can provide a visual resource for future effort and as an example for other teams.

SQUID #gamestorming #project planning #issue analysis #problem solving When exploring an information space, it’s important for a group to know where they are at any given time. By using SQUID, a group charts out the territory as they go and can navigate accordingly. SQUID stands for Sequential Question and Insight Diagram.

16. Speed Boat

To continue with our nautical theme, Speed Boat is a short and sweet activity that can help a team quickly identify what employees, clients or service users might have a problem with and analyze what might be standing in the way of achieving a solution.

Methods that allow for a group to make observations, have insights and obtain those eureka moments quickly are invaluable when trying to solve complex problems.

In Speed Boat, the approach is to first consider what anchors and challenges might be holding an organization (or boat) back. Bonus points if you are able to identify any sharks in the water and develop ideas that can also deal with competitors!

Speed Boat #gamestorming #problem solving #action Speedboat is a short and sweet way to identify what your employees or clients don’t like about your product/service or what’s standing in the way of a desired goal.

17. The Journalistic Six

Some of the most effective ways of solving problems is by encouraging teams to be more inclusive and diverse in their thinking.

Based on the six key questions journalism students are taught to answer in articles and news stories, The Journalistic Six helps create teams to see the whole picture. By using who, what, when, where, why, and how to facilitate the conversation and encourage creative thinking, your team can make sure that the problem identification and problem analysis stages of the are covered exhaustively and thoughtfully. Reporter’s notebook and dictaphone optional.

The Journalistic Six – Who What When Where Why How #idea generation #issue analysis #problem solving #online #creative thinking #remote-friendly A questioning method for generating, explaining, investigating ideas.

18. LEGO Challenge

Now for an activity that is a little out of the (toy) box. LEGO Serious Play is a facilitation methodology that can be used to improve creative thinking and problem-solving skills.

The LEGO Challenge includes giving each member of the team an assignment that is hidden from the rest of the group while they create a structure without speaking.

What the LEGO challenge brings to the table is a fun working example of working with stakeholders who might not be on the same page to solve problems. Also, it’s LEGO! Who doesn’t love LEGO!

LEGO Challenge #hyperisland #team A team-building activity in which groups must work together to build a structure out of LEGO, but each individual has a secret “assignment” which makes the collaborative process more challenging. It emphasizes group communication, leadership dynamics, conflict, cooperation, patience and problem solving strategy.

19. What, So What, Now What?

If not carefully managed, the problem identification and problem analysis stages of the problem-solving process can actually create more problems and misunderstandings.

The What, So What, Now What? problem-solving activity is designed to help collect insights and move forward while also eliminating the possibility of disagreement when it comes to identifying, clarifying, and analyzing organizational or work problems.

Facilitation is all about bringing groups together so that might work on a shared goal and the best problem-solving strategies ensure that teams are aligned in purpose, if not initially in opinion or insight.

Throughout the three steps of this game, you give everyone on a team to reflect on a problem by asking what happened, why it is important, and what actions should then be taken.

This can be a great activity for bringing our individual perceptions about a problem or challenge and contextualizing it in a larger group setting. This is one of the most important problem-solving skills you can bring to your organization.

W³ – What, So What, Now What? #issue analysis #innovation #liberating structures You can help groups reflect on a shared experience in a way that builds understanding and spurs coordinated action while avoiding unproductive conflict. It is possible for every voice to be heard while simultaneously sifting for insights and shaping new direction. Progressing in stages makes this practical—from collecting facts about What Happened to making sense of these facts with So What and finally to what actions logically follow with Now What . The shared progression eliminates most of the misunderstandings that otherwise fuel disagreements about what to do. Voila!

20. Journalists

Problem analysis can be one of the most important and decisive stages of all problem-solving tools. Sometimes, a team can become bogged down in the details and are unable to move forward.

Journalists is an activity that can avoid a group from getting stuck in the problem identification or problem analysis stages of the process.

In Journalists, the group is invited to draft the front page of a fictional newspaper and figure out what stories deserve to be on the cover and what headlines those stories will have. By reframing how your problems and challenges are approached, you can help a team move productively through the process and be better prepared for the steps to follow.

Journalists #vision #big picture #issue analysis #remote-friendly This is an exercise to use when the group gets stuck in details and struggles to see the big picture. Also good for defining a vision.

Problem-solving techniques for developing solutions

The success of any problem-solving process can be measured by the solutions it produces. After you’ve defined the issue, explored existing ideas, and ideated, it’s time to narrow down to the correct solution.

Use these problem-solving techniques when you want to help your team find consensus, compare possible solutions, and move towards taking action on a particular problem.

Improved Solutions
Four-Step Sketch
15% Solutions
How-Now-Wow matrix
Impact Effort Matrix

21. Mindspin

Brainstorming is part of the bread and butter of the problem-solving process and all problem-solving strategies benefit from getting ideas out and challenging a team to generate solutions quickly.

With Mindspin, participants are encouraged not only to generate ideas but to do so under time constraints and by slamming down cards and passing them on. By doing multiple rounds, your team can begin with a free generation of possible solutions before moving on to developing those solutions and encouraging further ideation.

This is one of our favorite problem-solving activities and can be great for keeping the energy up throughout the workshop. Remember the importance of helping people become engaged in the process – energizing problem-solving techniques like Mindspin can help ensure your team stays engaged and happy, even when the problems they’re coming together to solve are complex.

MindSpin #teampedia #idea generation #problem solving #action A fast and loud method to enhance brainstorming within a team. Since this activity has more than round ideas that are repetitive can be ruled out leaving more creative and innovative answers to the challenge.

22. Improved Solutions

After a team has successfully identified a problem and come up with a few solutions, it can be tempting to call the work of the problem-solving process complete. That said, the first solution is not necessarily the best, and by including a further review and reflection activity into your problem-solving model, you can ensure your group reaches the best possible result.

One of a number of problem-solving games from Thiagi Group, Improved Solutions helps you go the extra mile and develop suggested solutions with close consideration and peer review. By supporting the discussion of several problems at once and by shifting team roles throughout, this problem-solving technique is a dynamic way of finding the best solution.

Improved Solutions #creativity #thiagi #problem solving #action #team You can improve any solution by objectively reviewing its strengths and weaknesses and making suitable adjustments. In this creativity framegame, you improve the solutions to several problems. To maintain objective detachment, you deal with a different problem during each of six rounds and assume different roles (problem owner, consultant, basher, booster, enhancer, and evaluator) during each round. At the conclusion of the activity, each player ends up with two solutions to her problem.

23. Four Step Sketch

Creative thinking and visual ideation does not need to be confined to the opening stages of your problem-solving strategies. Exercises that include sketching and prototyping on paper can be effective at the solution finding and development stage of the process, and can be great for keeping a team engaged.

By going from simple notes to a crazy 8s round that involves rapidly sketching 8 variations on their ideas before then producing a final solution sketch, the group is able to iterate quickly and visually. Problem-solving techniques like Four-Step Sketch are great if you have a group of different thinkers and want to change things up from a more textual or discussion-based approach.

Four-Step Sketch #design sprint #innovation #idea generation #remote-friendly The four-step sketch is an exercise that helps people to create well-formed concepts through a structured process that includes: Review key information Start design work on paper, Consider multiple variations , Create a detailed solution . This exercise is preceded by a set of other activities allowing the group to clarify the challenge they want to solve. See how the Four Step Sketch exercise fits into a Design Sprint

24. 15% Solutions

Some problems are simpler than others and with the right problem-solving activities, you can empower people to take immediate actions that can help create organizational change.

Part of the liberating structures toolkit, 15% solutions is a problem-solving technique that focuses on finding and implementing solutions quickly. A process of iterating and making small changes quickly can help generate momentum and an appetite for solving complex problems.

Problem-solving strategies can live and die on whether people are onboard. Getting some quick wins is a great way of getting people behind the process.

It can be extremely empowering for a team to realize that problem-solving techniques can be deployed quickly and easily and delineate between things they can positively impact and those things they cannot change.

15% Solutions #action #liberating structures #remote-friendly You can reveal the actions, however small, that everyone can do immediately. At a minimum, these will create momentum, and that may make a BIG difference. 15% Solutions show that there is no reason to wait around, feel powerless, or fearful. They help people pick it up a level. They get individuals and the group to focus on what is within their discretion instead of what they cannot change. With a very simple question, you can flip the conversation to what can be done and find solutions to big problems that are often distributed widely in places not known in advance. Shifting a few grains of sand may trigger a landslide and change the whole landscape.

25. How-Now-Wow Matrix

The problem-solving process is often creative, as complex problems usually require a change of thinking and creative response in order to find the best solutions. While it’s common for the first stages to encourage creative thinking, groups can often gravitate to familiar solutions when it comes to the end of the process.

When selecting solutions, you don’t want to lose your creative energy! The How-Now-Wow Matrix from Gamestorming is a great problem-solving activity that enables a group to stay creative and think out of the box when it comes to selecting the right solution for a given problem.

Problem-solving techniques that encourage creative thinking and the ideation and selection of new solutions can be the most effective in organisational change. Give the How-Now-Wow Matrix a go, and not just for how pleasant it is to say out loud.

How-Now-Wow Matrix #gamestorming #idea generation #remote-friendly When people want to develop new ideas, they most often think out of the box in the brainstorming or divergent phase. However, when it comes to convergence, people often end up picking ideas that are most familiar to them. This is called a ‘creative paradox’ or a ‘creadox’. The How-Now-Wow matrix is an idea selection tool that breaks the creadox by forcing people to weigh each idea on 2 parameters.

26. Impact and Effort Matrix

All problem-solving techniques hope to not only find solutions to a given problem or challenge but to find the best solution. When it comes to finding a solution, groups are invited to put on their decision-making hats and really think about how a proposed idea would work in practice.

The Impact and Effort Matrix is one of the problem-solving techniques that fall into this camp, empowering participants to first generate ideas and then categorize them into a 2×2 matrix based on impact and effort.

Activities that invite critical thinking while remaining simple are invaluable. Use the Impact and Effort Matrix to move from ideation and towards evaluating potential solutions before then committing to them.

Impact and Effort Matrix #gamestorming #decision making #action #remote-friendly In this decision-making exercise, possible actions are mapped based on two factors: effort required to implement and potential impact. Categorizing ideas along these lines is a useful technique in decision making, as it obliges contributors to balance and evaluate suggested actions before committing to them.

27. Dotmocracy

If you’ve followed each of the problem-solving steps with your group successfully, you should move towards the end of your process with heaps of possible solutions developed with a specific problem in mind. But how do you help a group go from ideation to putting a solution into action?

Dotmocracy – or Dot Voting -is a tried and tested method of helping a team in the problem-solving process make decisions and put actions in place with a degree of oversight and consensus.

One of the problem-solving techniques that should be in every facilitator’s toolbox, Dot Voting is fast and effective and can help identify the most popular and best solutions and help bring a group to a decision effectively.

Dotmocracy #action #decision making #group prioritization #hyperisland #remote-friendly Dotmocracy is a simple method for group prioritization or decision-making. It is not an activity on its own, but a method to use in processes where prioritization or decision-making is the aim. The method supports a group to quickly see which options are most popular or relevant. The options or ideas are written on post-its and stuck up on a wall for the whole group to see. Each person votes for the options they think are the strongest, and that information is used to inform a decision.

All facilitators know that warm-ups and icebreakers are useful for any workshop or group process. Problem-solving workshops are no different.

Use these problem-solving techniques to warm up a group and prepare them for the rest of the process. Activating your group by tapping into some of the top problem-solving skills can be one of the best ways to see great outcomes from your session.

Check-in/Check-out
Doodling Together
Show and Tell
Constellations
Draw a Tree

28. Check-in / Check-out

Solid processes are planned from beginning to end, and the best facilitators know that setting the tone and establishing a safe, open environment can be integral to a successful problem-solving process.

Check-in / Check-out is a great way to begin and/or bookend a problem-solving workshop. Checking in to a session emphasizes that everyone will be seen, heard, and expected to contribute.

If you are running a series of meetings, setting a consistent pattern of checking in and checking out can really help your team get into a groove. We recommend this opening-closing activity for small to medium-sized groups though it can work with large groups if they’re disciplined!

Check-in / Check-out #team #opening #closing #hyperisland #remote-friendly Either checking-in or checking-out is a simple way for a team to open or close a process, symbolically and in a collaborative way. Checking-in/out invites each member in a group to be present, seen and heard, and to express a reflection or a feeling. Checking-in emphasizes presence, focus and group commitment; checking-out emphasizes reflection and symbolic closure.

29. Doodling Together

Thinking creatively and not being afraid to make suggestions are important problem-solving skills for any group or team, and warming up by encouraging these behaviors is a great way to start.

Doodling Together is one of our favorite creative ice breaker games – it’s quick, effective, and fun and can make all following problem-solving steps easier by encouraging a group to collaborate visually. By passing cards and adding additional items as they go, the workshop group gets into a groove of co-creation and idea development that is crucial to finding solutions to problems.

Doodling Together #collaboration #creativity #teamwork #fun #team #visual methods #energiser #icebreaker #remote-friendly Create wild, weird and often funny postcards together & establish a group’s creative confidence.

30. Show and Tell

You might remember some version of Show and Tell from being a kid in school and it’s a great problem-solving activity to kick off a session.

Asking participants to prepare a little something before a workshop by bringing an object for show and tell can help them warm up before the session has even begun! Games that include a physical object can also help encourage early engagement before moving onto more big-picture thinking.

By asking your participants to tell stories about why they chose to bring a particular item to the group, you can help teams see things from new perspectives and see both differences and similarities in the way they approach a topic. Great groundwork for approaching a problem-solving process as a team!

Show and Tell #gamestorming #action #opening #meeting facilitation Show and Tell taps into the power of metaphors to reveal players’ underlying assumptions and associations around a topic The aim of the game is to get a deeper understanding of stakeholders’ perspectives on anything—a new project, an organizational restructuring, a shift in the company’s vision or team dynamic.

31. Constellations

Who doesn’t love stars? Constellations is a great warm-up activity for any workshop as it gets people up off their feet, energized, and ready to engage in new ways with established topics. It’s also great for showing existing beliefs, biases, and patterns that can come into play as part of your session.

Using warm-up games that help build trust and connection while also allowing for non-verbal responses can be great for easing people into the problem-solving process and encouraging engagement from everyone in the group. Constellations is great in large spaces that allow for movement and is definitely a practical exercise to allow the group to see patterns that are otherwise invisible.

Constellations #trust #connection #opening #coaching #patterns #system Individuals express their response to a statement or idea by standing closer or further from a central object. Used with teams to reveal system, hidden patterns, perspectives.

32. Draw a Tree

Problem-solving games that help raise group awareness through a central, unifying metaphor can be effective ways to warm-up a group in any problem-solving model.

Draw a Tree is a simple warm-up activity you can use in any group and which can provide a quick jolt of energy. Start by asking your participants to draw a tree in just 45 seconds – they can choose whether it will be abstract or realistic.

Once the timer is up, ask the group how many people included the roots of the tree and use this as a means to discuss how we can ignore important parts of any system simply because they are not visible.

All problem-solving strategies are made more effective by thinking of problems critically and by exposing things that may not normally come to light. Warm-up games like Draw a Tree are great in that they quickly demonstrate some key problem-solving skills in an accessible and effective way.

Draw a Tree #thiagi #opening #perspectives #remote-friendly With this game you can raise awarness about being more mindful, and aware of the environment we live in.

Each step of the problem-solving workshop benefits from an intelligent deployment of activities, games, and techniques. Bringing your session to an effective close helps ensure that solutions are followed through on and that you also celebrate what has been achieved.

Here are some problem-solving activities you can use to effectively close a workshop or meeting and ensure the great work you’ve done can continue afterward.

One Breath Feedback
Who What When Matrix
Response Cards

How do I conclude a problem-solving process?

All good things must come to an end. With the bulk of the work done, it can be tempting to conclude your workshop swiftly and without a moment to debrief and align. This can be problematic in that it doesn’t allow your team to fully process the results or reflect on the process.

At the end of an effective session, your team will have gone through a process that, while productive, can be exhausting. It’s important to give your group a moment to take a breath, ensure that they are clear on future actions, and provide short feedback before leaving the space.

The primary purpose of any problem-solving method is to generate solutions and then implement them. Be sure to take the opportunity to ensure everyone is aligned and ready to effectively implement the solutions you produced in the workshop.

Remember that every process can be improved and by giving a short moment to collect feedback in the session, you can further refine your problem-solving methods and see further success in the future too.

33. One Breath Feedback

Maintaining attention and focus during the closing stages of a problem-solving workshop can be tricky and so being concise when giving feedback can be important. It’s easy to incur “death by feedback” should some team members go on for too long sharing their perspectives in a quick feedback round.

One Breath Feedback is a great closing activity for workshops. You give everyone an opportunity to provide feedback on what they’ve done but only in the space of a single breath. This keeps feedback short and to the point and means that everyone is encouraged to provide the most important piece of feedback to them.

One breath feedback #closing #feedback #action This is a feedback round in just one breath that excels in maintaining attention: each participants is able to speak during just one breath … for most people that’s around 20 to 25 seconds … unless of course you’ve been a deep sea diver in which case you’ll be able to do it for longer.

34. Who What When Matrix

Matrices feature as part of many effective problem-solving strategies and with good reason. They are easily recognizable, simple to use, and generate results.

The Who What When Matrix is a great tool to use when closing your problem-solving session by attributing a who, what and when to the actions and solutions you have decided upon. The resulting matrix is a simple, easy-to-follow way of ensuring your team can move forward.

Great solutions can’t be enacted without action and ownership. Your problem-solving process should include a stage for allocating tasks to individuals or teams and creating a realistic timeframe for those solutions to be implemented or checked out. Use this method to keep the solution implementation process clear and simple for all involved.

Who/What/When Matrix #gamestorming #action #project planning With Who/What/When matrix, you can connect people with clear actions they have defined and have committed to.

35. Response cards

Group discussion can comprise the bulk of most problem-solving activities and by the end of the process, you might find that your team is talked out!

Providing a means for your team to give feedback with short written notes can ensure everyone is head and can contribute without the need to stand up and talk. Depending on the needs of the group, giving an alternative can help ensure everyone can contribute to your problem-solving model in the way that makes the most sense for them.

Response Cards is a great way to close a workshop if you are looking for a gentle warm-down and want to get some swift discussion around some of the feedback that is raised.

Response Cards #debriefing #closing #structured sharing #questions and answers #thiagi #action It can be hard to involve everyone during a closing of a session. Some might stay in the background or get unheard because of louder participants. However, with the use of Response Cards, everyone will be involved in providing feedback or clarify questions at the end of a session.

Save time and effort discovering the right solutions

A structured problem solving process is a surefire way of solving tough problems, discovering creative solutions and driving organizational change. But how can you design for successful outcomes?

With SessionLab, it’s easy to design engaging workshops that deliver results. Drag, drop and reorder blocks to build your agenda. When you make changes or update your agenda, your session timing adjusts automatically , saving you time on manual adjustments.

Collaborating with stakeholders or clients? Share your agenda with a single click and collaborate in real-time. No more sending documents back and forth over email.

Explore how to use SessionLab to design effective problem solving workshops or watch this five minute video to see the planner in action!

Over to you

The problem-solving process can often be as complicated and multifaceted as the problems they are set-up to solve. With the right problem-solving techniques and a mix of creative exercises designed to guide discussion and generate purposeful ideas, we hope we’ve given you the tools to find the best solutions as simply and easily as possible.

Is there a problem-solving technique that you are missing here? Do you have a favorite activity or method you use when facilitating? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you!

thank you very much for these excellent techniques

Certainly wonderful article, very detailed. Shared!

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Waves, Sound and Light: Wave Basics

Calculator pad, version 2, wave basics: problem set.

Jerome and Claire are doing the Period of a Pendulum Lab. They observe that a pendulum makes exactly 10 complete back and forth cycles of motion in 21.8 seconds. Determine the period of the pendulum.

Audio Guided Solution
Show Answer

Strong winds can apply a significant enough force to tall skyscrapers to set them into a back-and-forth motion. The amplitudes of these motions are greater at the higher floors and barely observable for the lower floors. It is said that one can even observe the vibrational motion of the Sears Tower in Chicago on a windy day. As the Sears Tower vibrates back and forth, it makes about 8.6 vibrations in 60 seconds. Determine the frequency and the period of vibration of the Sears Tower.

The spin rate of a CD-ROM varies according to the location on the disc from where data is being accessed. When accessing data from the inner circles of the disc, the CD can spin at a rate as high as 400 revolutions per minute. Determine the frequency (in Hertz) and the period (in seconds) of the spinning CD.

Like all planets, the planet Venus orbits the Sun in periodic motion and simultaneously spins about its axis. Just as on Earth, the time to make one complete orbit (i.e., the period of orbit) is what defines a year. And the time to make one complete revolution about its axis (i.e., the period of rotation) is what defines a day. The period of orbit for the Earth is 365.25 days and the period of rotation is 24 hours (1.00 day). But when these same values for Venus are expressed relative to Earth, it is found that Venus has a period of orbit of 225 days and a period of rotation of 243 days. So for Venus inhabitants, a day would last longer than a year ! Determine the frequency of orbit and the frequency of rotation (in Hertz) on Venus.

Extreme waves along ocean waters, sometimes referred to as freak waves or rogue waves , are a focus of much research and study among scientists. Several merchant ships reports rogue waves which are estimated to be 25 meters high and 26 meters long. Assuming that these waves travel at speeds of 6.5 m/s, determine the frequency and the period of these waves.

Tsunamis are much different than rogue waves. While rogue waves and other waves are generated by winds, tsunamis originate from geological events such as movements of tectonic plates. Tsunamis tend to travel very fast. A tsunami generated off the coast of Chile in 1990 is estimated to have traveled approximately 6200 miles to Hawaii in 15 hours. Determine the speed in mi/hr and m/s. (Given: 1.0 m/s = 2.24 mi/hr)

A geological disturbance in California produces seismic waves which are detected in Phoenix, approximately 990 km from the epicenter. If the waves travel 6.3 km/s, determine the time delay between the disturbance and the detection.

Microbats use echolocation to navigate and hunt. They emit pulses of high frequency sound waves which reflect off obstacles and objects in their surroundings. By detecting the time delay between the emitted pulse and the return of the reflected pulse, a bat can determine the location of the object. Determine the time delay between the sending of a pulse and the return of its reflection from an object located 12.5 m away. Approximate the speed of the sound waves as 345 m/s.

Logan, Cassie and Abbey are doing the Pulse Speed Lab. Logan and Cassie stand 6.8 m apart and stretch a zinc-coiled snakey between them. Logan introduces a pulse into the snakey at his end. Using a stopwatch, Abbey measures that it takes 15.1 seconds for the pulse to travel to Cassie's end and back two times. They then repeat the experiment with a copper-coiled snakey stretched the same distance and find that pulses travel back and forth two times in 16.9 seconds. a. Determine the speed of the pulse in the zinc-coiled snakey. b. Determine the speed of the pulse in the copper-coiled snakey.

Problem 10:

Sachi is rock'n to her favorite radio station - 102.3 FM. The station broadcasts radio signals with a frequency of 1.023 x 10 8 Hz. The radio wave signal travel through the air at a speed of 2.997 x 10 8 m/s. Determine the wavelength of these radio waves.

Problem 11:

A transverse wave is observed to be moving along a lengthy rope. Adjacent crests are positioned 2.4 m apart. Exactly six crests are observed to move past a given point along the medium in 9.1 seconds. Determine the wavelength, frequency and speed of these waves.

Problem 12:

A marine weather station detects waves which are 9.28 meters long and 1.65 meters high and travel a distance of 50.0 meters in 21.8 seconds. Determine the speed and the frequency of these waves.

Problem 13:

Humpback whales are known to produce a collection of elaborate and repeating sounds with frequencies ranging from 20 Hz to 10 kHz. The sound waves travel through water at speeds of approximately 1400 m/s. Determine the wavelengths of the waves at the lower and the upper end of this frequency range.

Problem 14:

A wave is traveling in a rope. The diagram below represents a snapshot of the rope at a particular instant in time.

Determine the number of wavelengths which is equal to the horizontal distance between points … a. … C and E on the rope. b. … C and K on the rope. c. … A and J on the rope. d. … B and F on the rope. e. … D and H on the rope. f. … E and I on the rope.

Problem 15:

Ryan and Carson attended their church's youth retreat at Camp Paradise this past fall. On Saturday afternoon they took a walk out to the harbor and watched incoming waves from Lake Michigan rock the boating piers up and down. Ryan and Carson observed that the piers made a complete up and down vibration cycle in 6.6 seconds. The piers were positioned a distance of 24 meters apart. When one pier was at a high position, the neighboring pier was at a low position and there was exactly one wave crest between them. Determine the wavelength, frequency and speed of the waves.

Problem 16:

Nick and Kara were lounging on rafts in the shallow waters of the beach at Lake Bluebird. They were spaced 1.8 meters apart. A motor boat zoomed past creating ripples which traveled towards Nick and Kara. Nick and Kara's rafts began to bob up and down as the ripples passed by them, making exactly 4 up and down cycles in 8.4 seconds. When Nick's raft was at a high point, Kara's raft was at a low point and there were no crests between their boats. Determine the wavelength, frequency and speed of the ripples Assume that the ripples traveled in a direction parallel to the imaginary line connecting the two rafts.

Problem 17:

Problem 18:, problem 19:, problem 20:.

In the Standing Wave Lab, lab partners Chloe and Paige adjust the frequency of a mechanical oscillator in order to vibrate a 1.38 m length of elastic cord at one of its harmonic frequencies. The cord vibrates with the pattern shown below when the frequency is set to 79.4 Hz. Determine the speed of the waves in the elastic cord.

Problem 21:

In a physics demonstration, Mr. H establishes a standing wave pattern in a snakey by vibrating it up and down with 32 vibrations in 10 seconds. Gerald is holding the opposite end of the snakey and is standing 6.2 m from Mr. H's end. There are four equal length sections in the snakey, each occupied by an antinode. Determine the frequency, wavelength and speed of the wave.

Problem 22:

Problem 23:.

Anna Litical and Stan Dingwaives are holding an elastic cord between them. Using a 1.6 meter long rope, they create a wave which travels at 2.4 m/s and has a frequency of 1.5 Hz. What would be the new wavelength and speed if they double the frequency of vibration of the cord?

Problem 24:

A standing wave pattern is established in a 246-cm long rope. A snapshot of the rope at a given moment in time is shown in the diagram below. Vibrations travel within the rope at speeds of 22.7 m/s. Determine the frequency of vibration of the rope.

Problem 25:

Problem 26:.

A 144 cm long rope undergoes exactly 64 complete vibrational cycles in 17.6 seconds when vibrating in the third harmonic (in three equal-length sections). Determine the speed of the waves in the rope.

Problem 27:

In a physics lab, a rope is observed to make 240 complete vibrational cycles in 15 seconds. The length of the rope is 2.8 meters and the measurements are made for the 6th harmonic (with six equal length sections). Determine the speed of the waves in the rope.

Problem 28:

Winston and Michal hold opposite ends of a stretched rope. Winston introduces a 68-cm tall upward-displaced pulse on his end while Michal simultaneously introduces a 42-cm tall upward-displaced pulse on his end. The two pulses meet in the middle of the rope. a. What is the resultant displacement of the rope when they completely overlap? b. What would be the resultant displacement of the rope if Michal's pulse was displaced downward?

Problem 29:

During a classroom demonstration, Mr. H uses a wave machine donated to the school by Bell Telephone Company. The wave machine consists of two 1-meter length sections of 50 steel rods. The steel rods are connected to each other so that when the first rod is disturbed from a rest position, the disturbance travels along the medium from rod to rod. One of the sections consists of longer steel rods; disturbances move at 20 cm/s in this section. The other section consists of shorter steel rods; disturbances move at 80 cm/s in this section. Mr. H connects the two sections together so that pulses can cross the boundary from one section to the other. He introduces a pulse with a length of 10 cm into the slower section. Determine the length of this pulse when it crosses the boundary into the faster section.

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Speed, Velocity, and Acceleration Problems

by Abnurlion
December 26, 2022 November 2, 2023

What is Speed?

Definition of Speed : Speed is the rate of change of distance with time . Speed is different from velocity because it’s not in a specified direction. In this article, you will learn how to solve speed, velocity, and acceleration problems.

Additionally, you need to know that speed is a scalar quantity and we can write its symbol as S. The formula for calculating the speed of an object is:

Speed, S = Distance (d) / Time (t)

Thus, s = d/t

Note: In most cases, we also use S as a symbol for distance.

The S.I unit for speed is meter per second (m/s) or ms -1

Non-Uniform or Average Speed : This is a non-steady distance covered by an object at a particular period of time. We can also define non-uniform speed as the type of distance that an object covered at an equal interval of time.

The formula for calculating non-uniform speed is

Average speed = Total distance covered by the object / Total time taken

Actual speed: This is also known as the instantaneous speed of an object which is the distance covered by an object over a short interval of time.

What is Velocity?

Definition of Velocity: Velocity is the rate of displacement with time. Velocity is the speed of an object in a specified direction. The unit of velocity is the same as that of speed which is meter per second (ms -1 ). We use V as a symbol for velocity.

Note: We often use U to indicate initial speed, and V to indicate final speed.

The formula for calculating Velocity (V) = displacement (S) / time (t)

The difference between velocity and speed is the presence of displacement and distance respectively. Because displacement is a measure of separation in a specified direction, while distance is not in a specified direction. Velocity is a vector quantity.

Uniform Velocity

Definition of uniform velocity: The rate of change of displacement is constant no matter how small the time interval may be. Also, uniform velocity is the distance covered by an object in a specified direction in an equal time interval.

The formula for uniform velocity = Total displacement / Total time taken

What is Acceleration?

Definition of Acceleration: Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity with time. Acceleration is measured in meters per second square (ms -2 ). The symbol for acceleration is a. Acceleration is also a vector quantity.

The formula for acceleration , a = change in velocity (v)/time taken (t)

Thus, a = v/t

We can also write acceleration as

a = change in velocity/time = ΔV/Δt = (v – u)/t

[where v = final velocity, u = initial velocity, and t = time taken]

Uniform Acceleration

In the case of uniform acceleration , the rate of change of velocity with time is constant.

Average velocity of the object = (Initial velocity + final velocity)/2

Average velocity = (v + u)/2

What is Retardation?

Retardation is the decreasing rate of change in velocity moved, covered, or traveled by an object.

The formula for calculating retardation is

Retardation = Change in a decrease in velocity/time taken

Equations of Motion

You can also apply the following equations of motion to calculate the speed, velocity, and acceleration of the body:

s = [ (v + u)/2 ]t
v 2 = u 2 + 2as

s = ut + (1/2)at 2

Where v = final velocity, u = initial velocity, t = time, a = acceleration, and s = distance

How to Calculate Maximum height

What are Prefixes in Physics

How to Calculate Dimension in Physics

Solved Problems of Speed, Velocity, and Acceleration

Here are solved problems to help you understand how to calculate speed, velocity, and acceleration:

A train moves at a speed of 54km/h for a one-quarter minute. Find the distance travelled by train.

Speed, Velocity, and Acceleration Problems

From the question above

Speed = 54 km/h = (54 x 1000)/(60 x 60) = 54,000/3,600 = 15 m/s

Time = one quarter minute = 1/4 minute = (1/4) x 60 = 15 seconds

Since we have

speed = distance/time

After cross-multiplication, we will now have

Distance = speed x time

We can now insert our data into the above expression

Distance = 15 m/s x 15 s = 225 m

Therefore, the distance travelled by train is 225 meters.

A car travelled a distance of 5km in 50 seconds. Find the speed in meters per second.

Distance = 5km = 5 x 1000m = 5,000m

Time = 50 seconds

and the formula for speed

speed = distance/time = 5000/50 = 100m/s

A motorcycle starting from rest moves with a uniform acceleration until it attains a speed of 108 kilometres per hour after 15 seconds. Find its acceleration.

Initial velocity, u = 0 (because the motorcycle starts from rest)

Final velocity, v = speed = 108 km/h = (108 x 1000m) / (60 x 60s) = 108,000/3,600 = 30m/s

Time taken, t = 15 seconds

Therefore, we can now apply the formula that says

Acceleration = change in velocity/ time = (v-u)/t = (30-0)/15 =30/15 = 2ms -2

Therefore, the acceleration of the motorcycle is 2ms -2

A bus covers 50 kilometres in 1 hour. What is it is the average speed?

Total distance covered = 50 km = 50 x 1000m = 50,000m

Time taken = 1 hour = 1 x 60 x 60s =3,600s

Therefore, we can now calculate the average speed of the bus by substituting our data into the above formula

Average speed = 50,000/3,600 = 13.9 m/s

Therefore, the average speed of the bus is 13.9m/s or approximately 14 meters per second.

A car travels 80 km in 1 hour and then another 20 km in the next hour. Find the average velocity of the car.

Initial displacement of the car = 80km

Final displacement of the car = 20km

The total displacement of the car = initial displacement of the car + final displacement of the car

The total displacement of the car = 80km + 20km = 100km

The time for 80km is 1hr

And the time for 20km is 1hr

Total time taken = The time for 80km (1hr) + The time for 20km (1hr)

Total time taken = 1hr + 1hr = 2hrs

Now, to calculate the average velocity of the car, we apply the formula that says

Average velocity = total displacement/total time taken = 100km/2hrs = 50km/h

We can further convert the above answer into meters per second

Average velocity = 50km/h = (50 x 1000m)/(1 x 60 x 60s) = 50,000/3,600 = 13.9m/s or 14ms -1

Therefore, the average velocity of the car is 14ms -1

How to Conduct Physics Practical

and How to Calculate Velocity Ratio of an Inclined Plane

A body falls from the top of a tower 100 meters high and hits the ground in 5 seconds. Find its acceleration.

Displacement = 100m

Time = 5 seconds

and we can apply the formula for acceleration that says

acceleration, a = Displacement/time 2 = 100/5 2 = 100/25 = 4ms -2

Therefore the acceleration due to the gravity of the body is 4ms -2

Note: The acceleration due to the gravity of a body on the surface of the earth is constant (9.8ms -2 ), even though there may be a slight difference due to the mass and altitude of the body.

An object is thrown vertically upward at an initial velocity of 10ms -1 and reaches a maximum height of 50 meters. Find its initial upward acceleration.

Initial velocity, u = 10ms -1

Final velocity, v = 0

maximum height = displacement = 50m

Initial upward acceleration, a =?

When we apply the formula that says a = (v 2 – u 2 )/2d we will have

a = (0 – 10 2 )/(2 x 50) = -100/100 = -1 ms -2

Hence, since our acceleration is negative, we can now say that we are dealing with retardation or deceleration.

Therefore, the retardation is -1ms -2

Note: Retardation is the negative of acceleration, thus it is written in negative form.

A car is traveling at a velocity of 8ms -1 and experiences an acceleration of 5ms -2 . How far does it travel in 4 seconds?

Initial velocity, u = 8ms -1

acceleration, a = 5ms -2

Distance, s =?

time, t = 4s

We can apply the formula that says

s = 8 x 4 + (1/2) x 5 x 4 2

s = 32 + (1/2) x 80 = 32 + 40 = 72m

Therefore, the distance covered by the car in 4s is 72 meters.

A body is traveling at a velocity of 10m/s and experiences a deceleration of 5ms -2 . How long does it take the body to come to a complete stop?

Initial velocity, u = 10m/s

acceleration , a = retardation = -5ms -2

time, t = ?

We already know that acceleration, a = change in velocity/time

This implies that

Time, t = change in velocity/acceleration

t = (v – u)/t = (0-10)/-5 = -10/-5 = 2s

Therefore, the time it takes the car to stop is 2 seconds .

A body is traveling at a velocity of 20 m/s and has a mass of 10 kg. How much force is required to change its velocity by 10 m/s in 5 seconds?

Change in velocity, v =10 m/s

mass of the object, m = 10kg

time, t = 5s

We can apply newton’s second law of motion which says f = ma

and since a = change in velocity/time

we will have an acceleration equal to

a = 10/5 = 2ms -2

Therefore, to find the force, we can now say

f = ma = 10 x 2 = 20N

Therefore, the force that can help us to change the velocity by 10 m/s in 5 seconds is 20-Newton.

Drop a comment if there is anything you don’t understand about speed, velocity, and acceleration Problems.

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Problems on Calculating Speed

Here we will learn to solve different types of problems on calculating speed.

We know, the speed of a moving body is the distance traveled by it in unit time.

Formula to find out speed = distance/time

Word problems on calculating speed:

1. A man walks 20 km in 4 hours. Find his speed.

Solution:

Distance covered = 20 km

Time taken = 4 hours

We know, speed = distance/time

= 20/4 km/hr

Therefore, speed = 5 km/hr

2. A car covers a distance of 450 m in 1 minute whereas a train covers 69 km in 45 minutes. Find the ratio of their speeds.

Speed of car = Distance covered/Time taken = 450/60 m/sec = 15/2

= 15/2 × 18/5 km/hr

= 27 km/hr

Distance covered by train = 69 km

Time taken = 45 min = 45/60 hr = 3/4 hr

Therefore, speed of trains = 69/(3/4) km/hr

= 69/1 × 4/3 km/hr

= 92 km/hr

Therefore, ratio of their speed i.e., speed of car/speed of train = 27/92 = 27 : 92

3. Kate travels a distance of 9 km from her house to the school by auto-rickshaw at 18 km/hr and returns on rickshaw at 15 km/hr. Find the average speed for the whole journey.

Time taken by Kate to reach school = distance/speed = 9/18 hr = 1/2 hr

Time taken by Kate to reach house to school = 9/15 = 3/5 hr

Total time of journey = (1/2 + 3/5) hr

Total time of journey = (5 + 6)/10 = 11/10 hr

Total distance covered = (9 + 9) km = 18 km

Therefore, average speed for the whole journey = distance/speed = 18/(11/10) km/hr

= 18/1 × 10/11 = (18 × 10)/(1 × 11) km/hr

= 180/11 km/hr

= 16.3 km/hr (approximately)

Speed of Train

Relationship between Speed, Distance and Time

Conversion of Units of Speed

Problems on Calculating Distance

Problems on Calculating Time

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Quantum computers can solve combinatorial optimization problems more easily than conventional methods, research shows

by Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres

The traveling salesman problem is considered a prime example of a combinatorial optimization problem. Now a Berlin team led by theoretical physicist Prof. Dr. Jens Eisert of Freie Universität Berlin and HZB has shown that a certain class of such problems can actually be solved better and much faster with quantum computers than with conventional methods.

The team's work is published in the journal Science Advances .

Quantum computers use so-called qubits, which are not either zero or one as in conventional logic circuits, but can take on any value in between. These qubits are realized by highly cooled atoms, ions or superconducting circuits, and it is still physically very complex to build a quantum computer with many qubits. However, mathematical methods can already be used to explore what fault-tolerant quantum computers could achieve in the future.

"There are a lot of myths about it, and sometimes a certain amount of hot air and hype. But we have approached the issue rigorously, using mathematical methods, and delivered solid results on the subject. Above all, we have clarified in what sense there can be any advantages at all," says Prof. Dr. Eisert, who heads a joint research group at Freie Universität Berlin and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin.

The well-known problem of the traveling salesman serves as a prime example: A traveler has to visit a number of cities and then return to his home town. Which is the shortest route? Although this problem is easy to understand, it becomes increasingly complex as the number of cities increases, and computation time explodes. The traveling salesman problem stands for a group of optimization problems that are of enormous economic importance, whether they involve railway networks, logistics or resource optimization. Good enough solutions can be found using approximation methods.

The team led by Eisert and his colleague Jean-Pierre Seifert has now used purely analytical methods to evaluate how a quantum computer with qubits could solve this class of problems, a classic thought experiment with pen and paper and a lot of expertise.

"We simply assume, regardless of the physical realization, that there are enough qubits and look at the possibilities of performing computing operations with them," explains Vincent Ulitzsch, a Ph.D. student at the Technical University of Berlin.

In doing so, the team unveiled similarities to a well-known problem in cryptography, i.e., the encryption of data.

"We realized that we could use the Shor algorithm to solve a subclass of these optimization problems," says Ulitzsch. This means that the computing time no longer "explodes" with the number of cities (exponential, 2 N ), but only increases polynomially, i.e., with N x , where x is a constant. The solution obtained in this way is also qualitatively much better than the approximate solution using the conventional algorithm.

"We have shown that for a specific but very important and practically relevant class of combinatorial optimization problems, quantum computers have a fundamental advantage over classical computers for certain instances of the problem," says Eisert.

Provided by Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres

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COMMENTS

Solved Speed, Velocity, and Acceleration Problems
Speed, velocity, and acceleration problems with detailed answers are provided for high school physics. Speed, velocity, and acceleration problems with detailed answers are provided for high school physics. ... {align*} By reorganizing this expression, we obtain a formula that is useful for solving similar problems in the AP Physics 1 exams ...
Velocity and Speed: Solutions to Problems
Problem 5: If I can walk at an average speed of 5 km/h, how many miles I can walk in two hours? Solution to Problem 5: distance = (average speed) * (time) = 5 km/h * 2 hours = 10 km using the rate of conversion 0.62 miles per km, the distance in miles is given by distance = 10 km * 0.62 miles/km = 6.2 miles Problem 6: A train travels along a straight line at a constant speed of 60 mi/h for a ...
Problems on Calculating Speed
Solution: Distance traveled = 25 km. Time taken to travel = 6 hours. Speed of Man = Distance traveled/Time taken. = 25km/6hr. = 4.16 km/hr. Therefore, a man travels at a speed of 4.16 km/hr. 2. A car covers a distance of 420 m in 1 minute whereas a train covers 70 km in 30 minutes.
EP 923 Book Review High
EP 923 Book Review High - Speed Problem Solvingหนังสือเล่มนี้สอนให้เรารู้จักขั้นตอนการแก้ปัญหา ...
Speed and velocity questions (practice)
A. The average velocity is 40 miles per hour. The total displacement of the trip is 300 miles. B. The total displacement of the trip is 300 miles. The average speed is 37.5 miles per hour. C. The average speed is 37.5 miles per hour. The car travels at 50 mph for the first half and 30 mph for the second half.
Speed and Velocity
Speed and Velocity. Speed is how fast something moves. Velocity is speed with a direction. Saying Ariel the Dog runs at 9 km/h (kilometers per hour) is a speed. But saying he runs 9 km/h Westwards is a velocity. Imagine something moving back and forth very fast: it has a high speed, but a low (or zero) velocity.
Velocity and Speed: Problems with Solutions
Problem 8: A man walked from point A to F following the route in the grid below in 3250 seconds. Determine a) the average speed, in m/s, for the whole journey. b) the magnitude of the displacement. c) the magnitude of the average velocity, in m/s, for the whole journey. Solution to Problem 8.
High Speed Problem Solving
High Speed Problem Solving- About the Workshop. An Online, Interactive Learning Experience. In a world of rapidly changing circumstances where clarity is absent and consequences of failure are high, the only sustainable competitive advantage an organization has is its people. Their ability to sense, understand, and solve problems or see, plan ...
8.8 Rate Word Problems: Speed, Distance and Time
Distance, rate and time problems are a standard application of linear equations. When solving these problems, use the relationship rate (speed or velocity) times time equals distance. r⋅t = d r ⋅ t = d. For example, suppose a person were to travel 30 km/h for 4 h. To find the total distance, multiply rate times time or (30km/h) (4h) = 120 km.
Average velocity and speed worked example
So, the average velocity is going to be equal to negative 1/30 meters per second, the negative specifies that on average the velocity is towards the left. If you wanna specify this as a decimal with two significant digits, this is going to be, so this will approximately equal to 0.033. That would be 1/30. Now let's try to tackle average speed.
Kinematic Equations: Sample Problems and Solutions
A useful problem-solving strategy was presented for use with these equations and two examples were given that illustrated the use of the strategy. Then, the application of the kinematic equations and the problem-solving strategy to free-fall motion was discussed and illustrated. In this part of Lesson 6, several sample problems will be presented.
Speed, time, and distance problems worksheets
Make customizable worksheets about constant (or average) speed, time, and distance for pre-algebra and algebra 1 courses (grades 6-9). Both PDF and html formats are available. You can choose the types of word problems in the worksheet, the number of problems, metric or customary units, the way time is expressed (hours/minutes, fractional hours, or decimal hours), and the amount of workspace ...
Average Speed Problems (video lessons, examples and solutions)
Solution: Step 1: The formula for distance is. Distance = Rate × Time. Total distance = 50 × 3 + 60 × 2 = 270. Step 2: Total time = 3 + 2 = 5. Step 3: Using the formula: Answer: The average speed is 54 miles per hour. Be careful! You will get the wrong answer if you add the two speeds and divide the answer by two.
Distance, Time and Speed Word Problems
Time = Distance / Speed. Let us take a look at some simple examples of distance, time and speed problems. Example 1. A boy walks at a speed of 4 kmph. How much time does he take to walk a distance of 20 km? Solution. Time = Distance / speed = 20/4 = 5 hours. Example 2. A cyclist covers a distance of 15 miles in 2 hours.
Wednesday Book Review: High Speed Problem Solving
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35 problem-solving techniques and methods for solving complex problems
Create innovative solutions and solve tough problems fast with these problem-solving techniques! ... it represents high level problems or related sublevel problems. ... have insights and obtain those eureka moments quickly are invaluable when trying to solve complex problems. In Speed Boat, the approach is to first consider what anchors and ...
How to Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills in High-Speed Construction
4 Communicate and execute the solution. The final step to solving a problem is to communicate and execute the solution. You need to inform and involve all the relevant stakeholders, such as your ...
Vibrations and Waves Problem Sets
Problem 25: A standing wave is established in a snakey as shown in the diagram at the right. The distance from point A to point B is known to be 4.69 meters. When not being vibrated as a standing wave, a single pulse introduced into the medium at point A will travel to the opposite end and back in 2.70 seconds.
Speed, Velocity, and Acceleration Problems
speed = ? and the formula for speed. speed = distance/time = 5000/50 = 100m/s . Problem 3. A motorcycle starting from rest moves with a uniform acceleration until it attains a speed of 108 kilometres per hour after 15 seconds. Find its acceleration. Solution. Data:
Problems on Calculating Speed
Here we will learn to solve different types of problems on calculating speed. We know, the speed of a moving body is the distance traveled by it in unit time. Formula to find out speed = distance/time. Word problems on calculating speed: 1. A man walks 20 km in 4 hours. Find his speed. Solution: Distance covered = 20 km
High Speed Analog Circuit for Solving Optimization Problems
High Speed Analog Circuit for Solving Optimization Problems; High Speed Analog Circuit for Solving Optimization Problems. Kristel Deems EECS Department University of California, Berkeley ... Kristel %T High Speed Analog Circuit for Solving Optimization Problems %I EECS Department, University of California, Berkeley %D 2015 %8 May 15 %@ UCB/EECS ...
Physics-informed neural networks for high-speed flows
Abstract. In this work we investigate the possibility of using physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) to approximate the Euler equations that model high-speed aerodynamic flows. In particular, we solve both the forward and inverse problems in one-dimensional and two-dimensional domains. For the forward problem, we utilize the Euler equations ...
PDF High Speed Analog Circuit for Solving Optimization Problems
However, solving convex optimization problems within a microsecond is still challenging, especially for larger sized problems. In addition, due to Moore's Law slowing down, the speed of modern processors is not improving at a signi cant rate. Many applications use parallelization in an e ort to continue solving problems faster.
Quantum computers can solve combinatorial optimization problems more
Quantum computers can solve combinatorial optimization problems more easily than conventional methods, research shows. ... High speed protein movies to aid drug design. 16 minutes ago.