Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Sprint Splits Rate Lab: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 9
- ForYear 9
- StageKey Stage 3
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Sprint Splits Rate Lab is a free printable maths worksheet for Year 9 (ages 13 to 14), in Key Stage 3. Students turn split times into a distance time graph, work out speeds from the gradient, then decide who wins the rematch. It needs only a pencil, a ruler and squared paper, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas, a stretch task and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your student and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Students fill in a table with columns for runner and section, distance in metres, time in seconds and speed in metres per second. They then draw a distance time graph, with axes labelled with units, time across and distance up. Points are plotted and joined with a ruler. They find the sprinter's average speed over the whole 100 m, then use their results to work out who wins the rematch. A checklist helps them tick off each stage.
- Runner and section
- Distance (m)
- Time (s)
- Speed (m/s)
- Find the sprinter's average speed over the whole 100 m.
- Axes labelled with units, time across and distance up
- Points plotted and joined with a ruler
Worked example: finding a speed
A cyclist rides 90 m in 15 s at a steady pace. What is the speed?
This question uses different numbers from the sheet. It shows two ways to find a speed.
Method 1: distance divided by time- Write the rule: speed = distance ÷ time.
- Put in the values: 90 m ÷ 15 s.
- Divide: 90 ÷ 15 = 6, so the unit is metres per second.
- Plot (0, 0) and (15, 90), with time across and distance up.
- Find the rise, which is 90 m, and the run, which is 15 s.
- Gradient = rise ÷ run = 90 ÷ 15 = 6. The gradient of a distance time graph is the speed.
How the sheet builds the skill
Start with the table
Students organise the split times, then work out a speed for each section. Writing the unit every time helps them see that speed is a rate: distance for each second.
Draw the graph
Choosing a scale, labelling both axes and plotting carefully are skills in themselves. A ruler keeps the lines honest.
Read the gradient
Students link the steepness of each line to the speed in the table. A steeper line means a higher speed.
Use it to decide
The rematch asks students to use their results to reach a conclusion and explain it, not just to calculate.
Why split times make good maths
A split time is a time recorded part of the way through a race. Coaches and athletes use splits to see where a runner speeds up or slows down. Each section has its own distance and its own time, so each section has its own speed. That makes split times a natural source of rate problems.
On a distance time graph, time runs across and distance goes up. The gradient of a line is the change in distance divided by the change in time, which is the speed. A steeper line means faster movement. Average speed over a whole run comes from the total distance and the total time. Students who link the table, the graph and the rule understand speed far better than students who only learn a formula.
Skills and curriculum link
- Gradient as speed
- Distance time graphs
- Rates and units
- Plotting accurately
- Reasoning and comparing
Ideas that help with this sheet
- Speed is a rateIt tells you how much distance is covered for each unit of time. It is a compound unit, so metres per second combines two measures.
- GradientGradient is the rise divided by the run. On a distance time graph, rise is distance and run is time.
- Units matterAlways write units with answers. A number without metres per second is incomplete, and mixed units cause errors.
- Choosing a scalePick a scale that uses most of the paper and is easy to read. Keep each square worth the same amount along an axis.
Key words
- Split timeA time recorded part of the way through a race.
- SpeedHow far something travels in a given time. It is distance divided by time.
- RateA comparison of two quantities with different units, such as metres per second.
- GradientHow steep a line is. It is the change up divided by the change across.
- AxisOne of the two lines on a graph. Each axis shows one quantity and its unit.
- Average speedThe total distance divided by the total time.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your student. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the checklist together and get a ruler, a pencil and squared paper ready.
- Complete the table first, writing units in every answer. Then plot the graph and join the points with a ruler.
- Compare your graph with a model drawn by your teacher or a partner. Ask, "How did you work that out?"
- Check against page 2. Come back another day to redo any parts that felt tricky.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Plot the sprinter first. Mark each point with a small cross and write its coordinates beside it. Join the crosses with a ruler, then fill in the speeds in the table one section at a time. Say each unit out loud as you write it.
To stretch confident children
Invent your own rematch by changing one runner's speed or starting point. Predict who wins before you draw anything. Then plot both runners on the same axes and check. Explain in a sentence what the graph shows.
Make it a game
Score one point for each correct answer. Two players race to the highest total. Add a bonus point for a clear label, a correct unit or a neat ruled line. Swap sheets at the end and check each other's graphs.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forTime and distance are swapped on the axes.
Try thisRemind students that time goes across and distance goes up. Write the unit beside each axis label before plotting.
Watch forThe speed is worked out as time divided by distance.
Try thisAsk what the unit should be. Metres per second means metres divided by seconds.
Watch forPoints are joined freehand, so the line wobbles and the gradient is hard to read.
Try thisUse a ruler and a sharp pencil. Plot each point as a small cross first, then join them.
Talk about it
- How can you tell from the graph which section was fastest?
- What does a steeper line mean?
- Why does the speed have two units in it?
- How would your graph change if the sprinter ran faster at the start?
- What makes the rematch result fair to compare?
- How could you check that your gradient is right?
Take it off the page
Walking graph
Walk a measured distance at home or outside. Time each stage with a watch and record the splits. Draw a distance time graph of your own walk.
Speed detective
Choose three everyday journeys, such as walking to the shop. Estimate the distance and the time, then work out each speed in metres per second.
Poster of the rules
Make a small poster showing speed, distance and time, with a worked example and a labelled graph. Keep it by your desk for revision.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first section, then let them lead. You do not need to be a maths expert. Ask them to explain what each line on the graph shows. Praise clear thinking, not only correct answers.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, a plenary, an early finisher task, homework or a table activity. It links tables, graphs and rates, so it suits lessons on compound units and gradient. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider maths plan. It pairs well with real timing outdoors, such as measuring and timing a short walk. It can be printed again for brothers or sisters, or used for revision a few weeks later.
Where this fits
Before this sheet, students meet ratio and proportion, plot coordinates and draw straight line graphs. They also use formulas such as speed = distance ÷ time with simple numbers. Compound units like metres per second are already part of Key Stage 3 maths, and this sheet gives practice with them.
After this sheet, students can move on to the equation of a straight line and to reading gradient in other real contexts, such as cost or filling a tank. Later work builds on the same idea: the gradient of a graph tells you a rate of change.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Sprint Splits Rate Lab for?
It is written for Year 9 (ages 13 to 14), in Key Stage 3. It suits students who can plot coordinates and want practice linking tables, graphs and rates.
- What will students practise?
They practise reading split times as distance time graphs and calculating gradients as speeds in rate problems. They also practise units, scales, plotting accurately and explaining a conclusion.
- What is a split time?
A split time is a time recorded part of the way through a race. Each split gives a section with its own distance and time, so each section has its own speed.
- How do I use it?
Complete the table, then plot on squared paper. Compare your graph with a model drawn by your teacher or a partner. Then check against the notes and answers on page 2.
- What if it feels too hard?
Plot the sprinter first. Mark each point with a small cross and write its coordinates beside it. Then fill in the table one section at a time, writing the unit each time.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. Black and white on plain A4 paper works well, so no colour printing is needed.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper, a pencil and a ruler, so it works well for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Squared paper helps with the graph.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.