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Arithmetic - Formulae & Shortcuts

TIME, SPEED & DISTANCE
1. Speed = Distance
Time
a) If Time = constant
Distance Speed
T = D1/S1 = D2/S2 = D3/S3
b) If Distance = Constant
Speed 1/Time
D = S1 T1 = S2 T2 = S3 T3
c) If Speed = Constant
Distance Time
S = D1/T1 = D2/T2 = D3/T3
2. 1 km/hr = 5 m/s
18
18 km/hr = 5 m/s
3. Average Speed = Total Distance Covered
Total Time Taken
a) If Distance covered is Constant,
Av. Speed
=
n
(Harmonic Mean)
1/s1 + 1/s2 + 1/s3 + + 1/sn
b) If Time taken is Constant,
Av. Speed
= s1 + s2 + s3 + + sn
(Arithmetic Mean)
n
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4. Given that the distance between two points is constant

a) If the speeds are in AP, Time taken are in HP
b) If the speeds are in HP, Time taken are in AP
5. Time to meet up/catch up = Distance to be covered
Relative Speed
a) In case of Opposite Directions
RS = s1 + s2
b) In case of Same Direction
RS = s1 s2 (s1 > s2)
6. Boats & Streams
a) Supstream = SBoat SRiver/Current
b) Sdownstream = SBoat + SRiver/Current
(For Escalators, the difference is that escalator can go either up or
down)

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7. Races (Linear)
Winners distance = Length of race
Losers distance = Winners distance (beat distance +
start distance)
Winners time = Losers time (beat time + start time)
Deadlock / dead heat occurs when beat time = 0 or beat
distance = 0
Apply Unitary Method

a) Time for 1st meeting = L/(a+b)

b) Time for 1st meeting at the starting point = LCM (L/a, L/b)

iii) Three people are running on a circular track of length L with

speeds a, b and c in the same direction
a) Time for 1st meeting = LCM [L/(ab), L/(ac)]
b) Time for 1st meeting at the starting point = LCM (L/a, L/b, L/c)

8. Circular Motion
i) Two people are running on a circular track of length L
with speeds a and b in the same direction
a) Time for 1st meeting = L/(ab)
b) Time for 1st meeting at the starting point = LCM (L/a,
L/b)

iv) Number of distinct points where they meet up

a) While moving in same direction = a- b s.t HCF(a,b ) = 1
b) While moving in opposite direction = a+ b s.t HCF(a,b ) = 1
(s.t.= such that)

ii) Two people are running on a circular track of length L

with speeds a and b in the opposite direction

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TIME & WORK
6. A does a particular job in a hours; B does the same job in b
hours; C does the same job in c hours
Then, together they will take abc/(ab + bc + ca) hours

1. Efficiency = Work
Time

W = k *N * D * H *
where W = work done

N = no. of men

D = no. of days

H = no. of hours per day

= Efficency

k = constant of prop

2. A does a particular job in a hours; B does the same job in b

hours
Together they will take ab/(a + b) hours

7. A does a particular job in a hours

B does the same job in b hours
A, B & C together does the job in t hours
Then, C alone can do it in abt/(atatbt) hours
A & C together can do it in bt/(bt) hours
B & C together can do it in at/(at) hours
8. Rate of Flow = Volume
Time
9. a) If the objective is to fill the tank
Then, the Inlet pipes do positive work

3. A does a particular job in a hours; B ruins the same job in b

hours
Together they will take ab/(b a) hours
4. A does a particular job in a hours; A & B together do the job in
t hours, then B alone will take at/(at) hours
5. A does a particular job in a hours more than A & B combined
Whereas, B does the same job in b hours more than A & B
combined
Then, together they will take (ab) hours to finish the job

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Whereas the Outlet pipes do negative work

b) If the objective is to empty the tank
Then the Outlet pipes do positive work
Whereas the Inlet Pipes do negative work
10. In case of alternative work, reach close to the answer, and
then solve the time for the remaining work left
e.g. A can construct a wall in 10 days and B can destruct it in
20 days, working together they can complete the wall in 20
days but working alternatively, it will require 37 days and not
40 days
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