How to Calculate Miles Per Hour for Speed

Calculating speed in miles per hour requires a fundamental set of equations in algebra that are often are used to determine the distance traveled by two objects that vary in speed. Besides solving a basic math equation, you may also want to determine how far you traveled based on the speed you went and how long it took you to get to a specific destination. Once you understand the basic of using an average speed and distance formula you will be able to simply calculate miles per hour at any time.

Instructions

1. Write down all information of the problem you want to determine, include the time it took you to travel and the distance you went. You can calculate the miles per hour in different ways depending on the problem you are trying to solve.

2. Set up the equation using the following formula:

   average speed = distance/time

3. Divide the distance you traveled, such as 60 miles, by the time it took you to reach your destination, such as three hours. The average speed is 20 miles per hour.

References

• Purplemath: Distance Word Problems
• Batesville Community School Corp.: Average Speed