PSLE Topic Mastery: Speed

I. Introduction

A. Common Misconceptions

The common misconception that students have about speed is that they are not sensitive to the units or measurements used in speed questions. They are very used to the units of speed being kilometres per hour (km/h). However, some questions require unit conversion, which students sometimes overlook and directly apply the speed-time-distance formula instead.

B. How to spot this misconception?

Some common questions where students make such errors are questions with a given time in minutes and a given speed in kilometres per hour (km/h). The common approach students have is to take the speed multiplied by the time, as per the formula (Distance = Speed × Time), to find the distance. However, students will overlook a step before that, which is to change the time from minutes to hours.

Example:
Car A travels at 60km/h for 30 minutes, what distance does it cover?
Distance = Speed × Time

Common misconception:
60 × 30 = 1800km

Solution:
30 minutes = 0.5 hours
60 × 0.5 = 30km

II. Conclusion

A. Addressing this misconception

This is a common misconception that students have, but they are not aware that they often make this mistake. As such, it is important to guide them to know what to look out for in speed questions. After that, they will need to figure out what missing information they are able to find with the given values. This will ensure that there is no misuse of units, which causes them to get the question wrong.

Our tutors' guidance, along with the in-house curriculum and textbooks at Genius Plus Academy, will prepare your child for the PSLE. We are dedicated to nurturing resilient and inquisitive learners, equipping them with a deep understanding of mathematics that allows them to tackle any challenges confidently.

Here at Genius Plus Academy, we’re ready to guide you every step of the way. Let's embark on the journey towards math mastery together!