The primary element to learn is the main formula. This equation is:
Distance = Rate X Time
To simplify, if we are given the rate at which someone is traveling and the time it takes to travel, we can then calculate the total distance traveled.
Consider the following. A car travels at 60mph and drives for 2 hours. We need to calculate the distance the car traveled.
Distance = Rate X Time
Distance = 60mph X 2 hours
Distance = 120 miles
Now, lets say that we want to know how long it will take us to travel 120 miles at a rate of 60mph.
We know that Distance = Rate X Time, but we want to calculate Time. We need to rearrange the formula. We need to have Time on one side of the equation by itself, so we must divide both sides of the equation by the Rate. The new formula will look like this.
Time = Distance/Rate
Time = 120miles/60mph
Time = 2 hours
We have learned how to calculate both distance and time using this formula, so let's look at how to figure the Rate. We will use the same example. A car has driven for 2 hours and traveled 120 miles. What rate of speed was the car traveling?
We know that Distance = Rate X Time, but we want to calculate Rate. Again, we need to rearrange the formula. We now want to have the Rate on one side of the equation by itself, so we must divide both sides of the equation by the Time. The new formula will look like this.
Rate = Distance/Time
Rate = 120 miles/2 hours
Rate = 60mph