How to calculate average speed given 2 speeds?
GeneralClass 12AllAnswered 27 Mar 2026
Answer
When traveling equal distances at two different speeds, use the harmonic mean formula:
Average Speed = (2 × Speed₁ × Speed₂) ÷ (Speed₁ + Speed₂)
For example, if you travel at 40 km/h for half the distance and 60 km/h for the other half, the average speed is (2 × 40 × 60) ÷ (40 + 60) = 4800 ÷ 100 = 48 km/h. Note that this is NOT simply (40 + 60) ÷ 2 = 50 km/h.
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