How to Determine MPH

Speed can vary in traffic.

While most vehicles have a speedometer, you can calculate miles per hour (MPH) without one. When someone refers to MPH, he is describing how far an object has traveled, in miles, in a given amount of time, in hours. This ratio describes speed. Runners, bikers and other travelers can calculate their speed by following a mathematical formula and using the help of basic tools that could be found on a cell phone. Teachers can also use bus trips as an educational opportunity to display the practical applications of calculating speed.

Things You'll Need

• Stopwatch
• Calculator (optional)

Instructions

1. Determine the distance traveled. This measurement needs to be in miles. You can measure length by pre-planning a course for travel or using a device that records distance traveled, such as a trip odometer.

2. Time how long it takes for the object to travel the set distance. Start your stopwatch at the moment you begin to record your distance and stop when you have reached your destination. Record the time.

3. Divide the distance traveled in miles by the time it took to go that far in hours. Convert your units, if necessary. The answer you get will be the average speed of your journey in miles per hour.

References

• Math: Distance, Rate and Time
• CSG Network: Miles Per Hour