Math in Travel

Math helps people travel from one place to another. You need math to read maps, figure out distances, and plan how long a trip will take. Pilots, sailors, and drivers all use math every day.

Distance and Time

When you plan a trip, you figure out how far away your destination is. If you drive 60 miles per hour for 2 hours, you travel 120 miles. That is multiplication.

You also plan what time to leave. If the trip takes 3 hours and you need to arrive by noon, you leave at 9 in the morning. That is subtraction with time.

Maps and Directions

Maps use a scale to show distances. The scale might say one inch equals 10 miles. If two cities are 3 inches apart on the map, they are 30 miles apart in real life.

GPS systems in cars and phones use math to find the shortest route. They calculate distances and time for every possible path and pick the fastest one.

Fun Facts

• Airplanes fly at about 500 miles per hour, which means they cover more than 8 miles every minute.
• The equator is about 24,901 miles around the Earth.
• Ancient sailors used the stars and math to find their way across the ocean.

Did You Know?

Time zones exist because the Earth spins. There are 24 time zones, one for each hour of the day, and math helps us figure out what time it is in other places!