Speed and Motion Conversions

This worksheet is designed for students in Grades 6 and 7 to strengthen their understanding of motion by converting speeds between miles per hour (mph), kilometers per hour (km/h), and meters per second (m/s). Through engaging scenarios involving cars, athletes, trains, spacecraft, and even comets, learners apply proportional reasoning, unit analysis, and multi-step problem solving to interpret and compare rates across measurement systems.

Learning Goals

• Speed & Rate Conversions (Gr. 6-7): Convert accurately between mph, km/h, and m/s using appropriate conversion factors.
• Understanding Motion & Velocity: Interpret what different speeds mean in real-world and scientific contexts.
• Proportional Reasoning & Unit Analysis: Apply ratios and dimensional thinking to ensure conversions are logical and precise.
• Multi-Step Problem Solving: Tackle complex conversions that require sequencing and careful calculation.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource: Designed by educators to align with middle school math and science standards.
• Varied Contexts: Includes everyday motion, global travel, and space exploration to maintain engagement and relevance.
• Bonus Challenge Problem: Extends learning with a higher-level comet-speed conversion that synthesizes multiple skills.
• Cross-Curricular Integration: Reinforces how mathematical conversions support scientific understanding of motion.
• Flexible Use: Ideal for math or science lessons, independent practice, small groups, enrichment, assessment prep, homework, or homeschool instruction.

This Speed and Motion Conversions worksheet helps students build confidence working across different unit systems while deepening their conceptual understanding of rate and motion. By converting and comparing speeds in diverse contexts, learners strengthen accuracy, reasoning, and real-world application of mathematical relationships essential for physics and advanced problem solving.

This worksheet is part of our Measurement Unit Conversion collection.