Going the Distance

Bolt is faster than the speed of light… or so he thinks! Image via Disney

Bolt is a dog that cuts right to the chase and fetches heart pumping adventures on a whim – at least on the movie set. When this superstar of a hit TV show is unintentionally shipped from Hollywood to New York City, he finds himself facing a real life challenge: a journey to get back to his owner, Penny, without the added effects of Hollywood feats and dramatic victories. However, Bolt soon discovers that with the help of a few furry friends, he is a superhero in his own rights after all.

An unlikely alliance forms between a dog, a cat, and a very active hamster in a bubble. Image via Youtube

There’s so much momentum in this movie that we were keen to get started on the math fun in Bolt! The many incidences where Bolt had to run for his life inspired us to come up with a question:

Bolt travels from Hollywood to New York City by plane at a steady speed of 460km/h. The journey takes him 5 hours. How far does Bolt travel?

But first, do you know how to calculate distance, speed, and time?

To calculate distance, speed, and time, it’s as easy as Y! The above diagram is the basic formula for calculating the three different totals. Begin by drawing a Y. Next, you place the D for distance on the top of the Y. This is because the distance is generally the largest sum in the equation between the three. The S (speed) and T (time) can go to either the left or right side. We have chosen to place the S on the left, and T on the right.

By using the Y as a basic formula, you just need to remember that the two upper parts of the Y is equivalent to division, whereas the bottom part of the Y is multiplication. So to obtain the Distance, you should multiply S with T. To obtain the Speed, you should divide distance with time. Same goes for Time; you divide distance with speed.

Now that you are up to speed on the basic formula for distance, speed, and time, let’s get down to business! Here’s the question again:

Bolt travels from Hollywood to New York City by plane at a steady speed of 460km/h. The journey takes him 5 hours. How far does Bolt travel?

By looking at the Y diagram, we know that we need to multiply speed with time to get the total distance.

460 x 5 = 2,300

This shows us that Bolt traveled 2,300km to get to New York City! That’s a lot of kilometres! However, we know that Bolt will gladly travel the same amount of distance to get back to his beloved Penny, and that’s what matters the most!

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