Direction sense is a chapter you solve with a pencil, not with your head. Every student who tries to imagine the turns gets lost by the third move. Draw it. Always start by marking north at the top of your rough sheet, and remember that the paper follows the map, so east is on your right and west is on your left, no matter which way you are sitting in the exam hall. The one trap that catches everybody is the turn. A left turn or a right turn is always from the person’s own side, so his direction changes with every turn and you have to track it. If the question asks for the shortest distance, it is never the walking distance, it is the straight line, and that means Pythagoras. Learn the triplets below and you will not need to calculate at all.
Direction Sense Rules and Shortcuts
The directions
North at the top, South at the bottom, East to the right, West to the left.
Opposite pairs: North <-> South, East <-> West, North-East <-> South-West, North-West <-> South-East.
Turns
A right turn is 90° clockwise, a left turn is 90° anticlockwise, always from the person’s own view.
Facing North, right takes him East and left takes him West. Facing South, right takes him West and left takes him East.
Two turns in a row
Right then right, or left then left, means he faces the opposite direction.
Right then left, or left then right, brings him back to the original direction.
Shortest distance
Shortest distance = √(a² + b²), where a is the net vertical movement and b is the net horizontal movement.
Net vertical = Total North − Total South. Net horizontal = Total East − Total West. The signs give you the final direction.
The triplets
3, 4, 5 and 6, 8, 10 and 5, 12, 13 and 9, 12, 15 and 8, 15, 17 and 7, 24, 25
The paper almost always uses one of these, so you never calculate.
Shadow rules
The sun rises in the East and sets in the West, so the morning shadow falls West and the evening shadow falls East. At 12 noon there is no shadow.
If a man’s shadow falls to his right in the morning, he faces North. To his left in the morning, he faces South.
Before you mark
Read what is asked. Distance walked and shortest distance are different answers, and both will be in the options.
60 Direction Sense Test Reasoning Questions and Answers (Solved MCQs)
Question 1. A man is facing North. He turns 135° clockwise, then 90° anticlockwise and finally 45° clockwise. Which direction is he facing now?
a) North-East
b) East
c) South-East
d) South
Answer:
b) East — From North, a 135° clockwise turn makes him face South-East. Turning 90° anticlockwise makes him face North-East, and a final 45° clockwise turn makes him face East.
Question 2. A woman is facing South-West. She rotates through 225° clockwise. Which direction does she face?
a) North
b) North-East
c) East
d) South-East
Answer:
c) East — Moving clockwise from South-West through 225° covers West, North-West, North, North-East and finally East.
Question 3. Ravi is facing East. He turns 270° anticlockwise, then 180° clockwise and finally 90° anticlockwise. Which direction is he facing?
a) North
b) South
c) East
d) West
Answer:
d) West — A 270° anticlockwise turn from East is equivalent to a 90° clockwise turn, so Ravi faces South. A 180° clockwise turn makes him face North, and a 90° anticlockwise turn makes him face West.
Question 4. Meera is facing North-West. She turns 45° clockwise, followed by 135° anticlockwise. Which direction is she facing now?
a) West
b) South-West
c) South
d) North-East
Answer:
b) South-West — A 45° clockwise turn from North-West makes Meera face North. A subsequent 135° anticlockwise turn takes her from North to South-West.
Question 5. A person is facing South-East. He turns left by 90°, right by 180° and then left by 45°. What is his final direction?
a) North
b) North-East
c) East
d) South
Answer:
c) East — From South-East, a 90° left turn gives North-East. A 180° right turn gives South-West, and a 45° left turn gives South. However, tracking the final 45° anticlockwise turn from South-West leads to South. Therefore, the correct answer is d) South.
Question 6. One morning, Aman notices that his shadow is exactly to his right. In which direction is he facing?
a) North
b) South
c) East
d) West
Answer:
b) South — In the morning, the Sun is in the East, so Aman’s shadow falls towards the West. If West is to his right, he must be facing South.
Question 7. Priya is initially facing West. She turns 45° clockwise, then 180° anticlockwise and finally 90° clockwise. Which direction does she face?
a) North-East
b) South-East
c) South-West
d) North-West
Answer:
c) South-West — From West, turning 45° clockwise gives North-West. Turning 180° anticlockwise gives South-East, and turning 90° clockwise gives South-West.
Question 8. A boy faces North-East. He makes three consecutive right turns of 90° each. Which direction is he facing after the third turn?
a) North-West
b) South-West
c) South-East
d) North-East
Answer:
a) North-West — Starting from North-East, the three right turns take him successively to South-East, South-West and North-West.
Question 9. Sneha is facing South. She turns 135° to her right and then 225° to her left. What is her final direction?
a) East
b) North-East
c) South-East
d) West
Answer:
a) East — From South, a 135° right turn makes Sneha face North-West. A 225° left turn from North-West makes her face East.
Question 10. At exactly 3:00, Karan stands facing the direction in which the hour hand of a correctly positioned clock points. He then turns 225° anticlockwise. Which direction does he face?
a) North-West
b) South-West
c) South-East
d) North-East
Answer:
b) South-West — At 3:00, the hour hand points East. Turning 225° anticlockwise from East takes Karan through North, West and then South-West.
Question 11. A person faces South-West. He turns three-eighths of a complete revolution clockwise and then one-fourth of a revolution anticlockwise. Which direction does he finally face?
a) West
b) North-West
c) South
d) South-East
Answer:
a) West — Three-eighths of a revolution equals 135°, so the first turn takes him from South-West to North. One-fourth of a revolution equals 90°, and turning anticlockwise from North makes him face West.
Question 12. Rohan stretches both arms horizontally while looking straight ahead. If his left hand points towards South, which direction is he facing?
a) East
b) West
c) North
d) South
Answer:
b) West — When Rohan faces West, the direction to his left is South. Therefore, if his left hand points South, he is facing West.
Question 13. A dancer initially faces North-West. She rotates 180°, then 45° clockwise and finally 90° anticlockwise. Which direction does she face?
a) North-East
b) South-East
c) South-West
d) North-West
Answer:
a) North-East — A 180° rotation from North-West makes her face South-East. Turning 45° clockwise makes her face South, and turning 90° anticlockwise makes her face East. Therefore, the final direction is East, which is not listed among the options.
Question 14. A car is pointing North-East. Without changing the direction in which its front is pointing, it reverses in a straight line. In which direction does the car move?
a) North-West
b) South-East
c) South-West
d) North-East
Answer:
c) South-West — The direction opposite to North-East is South-West. Therefore, while reversing without turning, the car moves towards South-West.
Question 15. A man turns 90° clockwise, then 135° anticlockwise and finally 45° clockwise. If he is now facing South, which direction was he initially facing?
a) North
b) South
c) East
d) West
Answer:
b) South — The net rotation is 90° clockwise – 135° clockwise + 45° clockwise = 0°. Therefore, his final direction is the same as his initial direction. Since he finally faces South, he initially faced South.
Question 16. Arjun walks 20 metres North, 15 metres East, 8 metres South and 6 metres West. What is his shortest distance and direction from the starting point?
a) 13 metres, North-East
b) 15 metres, North-East
c) 15 metres, South-East
d) 17 metres, North-West
Answer:
b) 15 metres, North-East — Arjun’s net eastward displacement is 15 – 6 = 9 metres, and his net northward displacement is 20 – 8 = 12 metres. The shortest distance is √(9² + 12²) = √225 = 15 metres. Therefore, he is North-East of the starting point.
Question 17. Kavya walks 18 metres South, 24 metres East, 8 metres North and 9 metres West. How far and in which direction is she from the starting point?
a) 5√13 metres, South-East
b) 5√13 metres, North-East
c) 13 metres, South-West
d) 17 metres, South-East
Answer:
a) 5√13 metres, South-East — Her net southward displacement is 18 – 8 = 10 metres, and her net eastward displacement is 24 – 9 = 15 metres. Hence, the distance is √(10² + 15²) = √325 = 5√13 metres, towards South-East.
Question 18. Rahul walks 10 metres East, turns left and walks 6 metres, turns left again and walks 10 metres, and then turns right and walks 8 metres. Where is he from the starting point?
a) 12 metres North
b) 14 metres North
c) 14 metres South
d) 16 metres North
Answer:
b) 14 metres North — Rahul first moves 10 metres East and then 6 metres North. His second left turn takes him 10 metres West, cancelling the eastward movement. From West, a right turn points North, so he walks another 8 metres North. He is therefore 6 + 8 = 14 metres North of the starting point.
Question 19. Neha walks 15 metres North, 8 metres East, 9 metres South and then 6 metres East. What is her shortest distance from the starting point?
a) 2√53 metres
b) 2√58 metres
c) 4√13 metres
d) 10√2 metres
Answer:
b) 2√58 metres — Neha’s net northward displacement is 15 – 9 = 6 metres, and her total eastward displacement is 8 + 6 = 14 metres. Therefore, the shortest distance is √(6² + 14²) = √232 = 2√58 metres.
Question 20. A man walks 10 metres towards South-West and then 10 metres towards South-East. How far and in which direction is he from his starting point?
a) 10 metres South
b) 10√2 metres South
c) 20 metres South
d) 10√2 metres East
Answer:
b) 10√2 metres South — Each diagonal movement has a southward component of 10/√2 = 5√2 metres. The westward and eastward components cancel, while the southward components add to 10√2 metres.
Question 21. Pooja walks 12 metres East, 5 metres North, 12 metres West and then 9 metres South. Where is she from her starting point?
a) 4 metres North
b) 4 metres South
c) 5 metres South
d) 9 metres South
Answer:
b) 4 metres South — The 12-metre eastward and westward movements cancel. Vertically, Pooja walks 5 metres North and 9 metres South, leaving a net displacement of 4 metres South.
Question 22. A student walks 8 kilometres North and then 6 kilometres East. What is the shortest distance between his final position and starting point?
a) 8 kilometres
b) 10 kilometres
c) 12 kilometres
d) 14 kilometres
Answer:
b) 10 kilometres — The northward and eastward paths form the perpendicular sides of a right triangle. The shortest distance is √(8² + 6²) = √100 = 10 kilometres.
Question 23. Mohan walks 15 metres West, 8 metres South and then 3 metres East. What is his shortest distance and direction from the starting point?
a) 4√13 metres, South-West
b) 4√13 metres, South-East
c) 12 metres, South-West
d) 20 metres, North-West
Answer:
a) 4√13 metres, South-West — Mohan’s net westward displacement is 15 – 3 = 12 metres, and his southward displacement is 8 metres. The distance is √(12² + 8²) = √208 = 4√13 metres. His position is South-West of the starting point.
Question 24. A person walks 10 metres North, turns right and walks 6 metres, turns right and walks 10 metres, and finally turns left and walks 8 metres. Where is the person now?
a) 12 metres East
b) 14 metres East
c) 14 metres West
d) 16 metres East
Answer:
b) 14 metres East — The first and third movements of 10 metres North and South cancel. The person walks 6 metres East after the first right turn. After facing South, a left turn points East, so another 8 metres are covered East. The final position is 6 + 8 = 14 metres East.
Question 25. A woman walks 7 metres towards North-East and then 7 metres towards South-East. How far and in which direction is she from her starting point?
a) 7 metres East
b) 7√2 metres East
c) 14 metres East
d) 7√2 metres North
Answer:
b) 7√2 metres East — The northward and southward components cancel. Each movement has an eastward component of 7/√2 metres, so the total eastward displacement is 14/√2 = 7√2 metres.
Question 26. Deepak is 12 metres North and 5 metres East of his starting point. What is the shortest distance he must travel to return directly to the starting point?
a) 12 metres
b) 13 metres
c) 15 metres
d) 17 metres
Answer:
b) 13 metres — His northward and eastward displacements form the sides of a right triangle. The direct return distance is √(12² + 5²) = √169 = 13 metres.
Question 27. A girl walks 9 metres North and then 12 metres East. In which direction and at what distance is she from her starting point?
a) 15 metres, North-East
b) 15 metres, South-East
c) 21 metres, North-East
d) 3 metres, East
Answer:
a) 15 metres, North-East — The shortest distance is √(9² + 12²) = √225 = 15 metres. Since she is both North and East of the starting point, her direction is North-East.
Question 28. A man walks 9 metres East, 12 metres North and then 9 metres West. What is the ratio of the total distance travelled to his displacement?
a) 2:1
b) 5:2
c) 3:2
d) 5:3
Answer:
b) 5:2 — The total distance travelled is 9 + 12 + 9 = 30 metres. The eastward and westward movements cancel, leaving a displacement of 12 metres North. Therefore, the ratio is 30:12 = 5:2.
Question 29. Simran walks 6 metres North, 8 metres East, 12 metres South and finally 8 metres West. What is her distance and direction from the starting point?
a) 4 metres South
b) 6 metres South
c) 6 metres North
d) 8 metres West
Answer:
b) 6 metres South — The 8-metre eastward and westward movements cancel. Vertically, Simran travels 6 metres North and 12 metres South, leaving a net displacement of 6 metres South.
Question 30. A person walks 8 metres North-East, then 8 metres North-West and finally 4√2 metres South. What is the shortest distance and direction from the starting point?
a) 2√2 metres North
b) 4√2 metres North
c) 4√2 metres South
d) 8 metres North
Answer:
b) 4√2 metres North — The first two diagonal movements have equal and opposite horizontal components, which cancel. Their combined northward displacement is 8/√2 + 8/√2 = 8√2 metres. After moving 4√2 metres South, the remaining displacement is 4√2 metres North.
Question 31. A is 12 metres North of B. C is 9 metres East of A, and D is 12 metres South of C. In which direction is D from B?
a) North
b) East
c) South-East
d) North-East
Answer:
b) East — A is 12 metres North of B, while D is 12 metres South of C. These vertical movements cancel. Since C is 9 metres East of A, D is 9 metres East of B.
Question 32. P is 15 metres West of Q. R is 10 metres South of P, and S is 15 metres East of R. Where is S relative to Q?
a) North
b) South
c) East
d) South-West
Answer:
b) South — P is 15 metres West of Q, while S is 15 metres East of R. These horizontal displacements cancel. Since R is 10 metres South of P, S is 10 metres South of Q.
Question 33. A is North of B. B is East of C, and C is North of D. In which direction is A from D?
a) North-West
b) North-East
c) South-East
d) East
Answer:
b) North-East — Starting from D, C lies to the North. B lies to the East of C, and A lies further North of B. Therefore, A is North-East of D.
Question 34. One evening, a man notices that his shadow is directly behind him. In which direction is he facing?
a) North
b) South
c) East
d) West
Answer:
d) West — In the evening, the Sun is in the West, so the shadow falls towards the East. If the shadow is behind the man, he must be facing in the opposite direction, which is West.
Question 35. One morning, a woman observes that her shadow falls exactly to her left. Which direction is she facing?
a) North
b) South
c) East
d) West
Answer:
a) North — In the morning, the Sun is in the East and the shadow falls towards the West. If West is to the woman’s left, she must be facing North.
Question 36. K is 10 metres South of L. M is 10 metres East of K, and N is 10 metres North of M. In which direction is N from L?
a) North
b) East
c) South-East
d) North-East
Answer:
b) East — K is 10 metres South of L, while N is 10 metres North of M, cancelling the vertical displacement. Since M is 10 metres East of K, N is 10 metres East of L.
Question 37. A hospital is 6 kilometres West of a school. A park is 8 kilometres North of the hospital, and a bank is 6 kilometres East of the park. Where is the bank relative to the school?
a) 6 kilometres North
b) 8 kilometres North
c) 8 kilometres South
d) 6 kilometres East
Answer:
b) 8 kilometres North — The hospital is 6 kilometres West of the school, and the bank is 6 kilometres East of the park. These horizontal distances cancel. Since the park is 8 kilometres North of the hospital, the bank is 8 kilometres North of the school.
Question 38. In a direction code, X * Y means X is South of Y, X + Y means X is West of Y, and X # Y means X is North of Y. If X * Y, Y + Z and Z # W are true, where is X relative to W?
a) North-West
b) South-West
c) West
d) South
Answer:
c) West — Z is North of W. Y is West of Z, and X is South of Y. The northward movement from W to Z and the southward movement from Y to X cancel. Therefore, X is West of W.
Question 39. A is 7 metres North of B. C is 11 metres East of B, and D is 7 metres South of C. Where is D relative to A?
a) East
b) South-East
c) North-East
d) South
Answer:
b) South-East — Taking B as the reference point, A is 7 metres North, while D is 11 metres East and 7 metres South of C’s northern level. Thus, D lies 11 metres East and 7 metres South of A, making it South-East of A.
Question 40. At sunrise, Ritesh begins walking directly towards the Sun. He turns right, then right again and finally left. In which direction is he facing?
a) North
b) South
c) East
d) West
Answer:
b) South — At sunrise, the Sun is in the East, so Ritesh initially faces East. The turns take him from East to South, then West and finally South.
Question 41. A is 10 metres North-East of B. C is 10 metres South-East of A. In which direction is C from B?
a) North
b) South
c) East
d) North-East
Answer:
c) East — The northward component of A’s movement from B is cancelled by the southward component of C’s movement from A. Both movements have eastward components, so C lies directly East of B.
Question 42. B is 12 metres North-West of A. C is 12 metres South-West of B. In which direction is C from A?
a) North
b) South
c) East
d) West
Answer:
d) West — The northward component of the first diagonal movement is cancelled by the southward component of the second. Both movements contribute westward components, so C lies directly West of A.
Question 43. At sunset, a person’s shadow falls directly in front of him. Which direction is he facing?
a) North
b) South
c) East
d) West
Answer:
c) East — At sunset, the Sun is in the West, so the shadow falls towards the East. Since the shadow is directly in front of the person, he is facing East.
Question 44. P is 5 metres North of Q. R is 12 metres East of P, and S is 9 metres South of R. In which direction is S from Q?
a) North-East
b) South-East
c) North-West
d) South-West
Answer:
b) South-East — Relative to Q, R is 12 metres East and 5 metres North. S is 9 metres South of R, so it is 12 metres East and 4 metres South of Q. Therefore, S lies South-East of Q.
Question 45. Anil is standing with his right hand pointing towards North-West. Which direction is he facing?
a) North-East
b) South-East
c) South-West
d) North-West
Answer:
c) South-West — The direction to a person’s right is 90° clockwise from the direction he faces. A person facing South-West has North-West on his right. Therefore, Anil is facing South-West.
Question 46. A man walks 10 metres North, turns 135° clockwise and walks 10√2 metres. He then turns 90° anticlockwise and walks another 10√2 metres. What is his shortest distance and direction from the starting point?
a) 10√3 metres, North-East
b) 10√5 metres, North-East
c) 20 metres, East
d) 10√5 metres, South-East
Answer:
b) 10√5 metres, North-East — After walking North, the man turns towards South-East. The 10√2-metre South-East movement contributes 10 metres East and 10 metres South, cancelling his initial northward movement. Turning 90° anticlockwise makes him face North-East, adding 10 metres East and 10 metres North. His final displacement is 20 metres East and 10 metres North. Therefore, the distance is √(20² + 10²) = 10√5 metres towards North-East.
Question 47. Riya walks 8 metres East, turns 45° anticlockwise and walks 6√2 metres. She then turns 90° clockwise and walks 6√2 metres. Finally, she turns 135° anticlockwise and walks 5 metres. How far is she from the starting point?
a) 5√13 metres
b) 5√15 metres
c) 5√17 metres
d) 10√5 metres
Answer:
c) 5√17 metres — The two diagonal movements contribute a total of 12 metres East, while their vertical components cancel. Together with the initial 8 metres East, Riya reaches 20 metres East of the starting point. Her final turn makes her face North, so she moves 5 metres North. The shortest distance is √(20² + 5²) = √425 = 5√17 metres.
Question 48. A person walks 20 metres North, turns right and walks 15 metres, turns right and walks 8 metres, turns left and walks 9 metres, and then turns left and walks 6 metres. What is his shortest distance from the starting point?
a) 24 metres
b) 26 metres
c) 30 metres
d) 32 metres
Answer:
c) 30 metres — The person’s net eastward displacement is 15 + 9 = 24 metres. His net northward displacement is 20 – 8 + 6 = 18 metres. Therefore, the shortest distance is √(24² + 18²) = √900 = 30 metres.
Question 49. In a coded movement system, A means a 45° anticlockwise turn and B means a 90° clockwise turn. A person initially faces South and performs the sequence A-B-B-A. Which direction does the person finally face?
a) North
b) South
c) East
d) West
Answer:
d) West — The total rotation is 45° anticlockwise + 90° clockwise + 90° clockwise + 45° anticlockwise. The two 45° anticlockwise turns equal 90° anticlockwise, while the clockwise turns total 180°. The net turn is therefore 90° clockwise. A 90° clockwise turn from South leads to West.
Question 50. A is 14 metres North-East of B. C is 14 metres South-East of A. D is 10 metres South of C. In which direction is D from B?
a) East
b) South-East
c) North-East
d) South
Answer:
b) South-East — The northward component of B-to-A is cancelled by the southward component of A-to-C, placing C directly East of B. D is then 10 metres South of C. Therefore, D lies South-East of B.
Question 51. A person walks 10 metres East, 10 metres North and then 10 metres South-West. What is the shortest distance from the starting point?
a) 5(√2 – 1) metres
b) 10(√2 – 1) metres
c) 5√2 metres
d) 10√2 metres
Answer:
b) 10(√2 – 1) metres — The first two movements place the person 10 metres East and 10 metres North. A 10-metre South-West movement subtracts 5√2 metres from both coordinates. The remaining eastward and northward displacements are each 10 – 5√2 metres. Hence, the distance is √2(10 – 5√2) = 10√2 – 10 = 10(√2 – 1) metres.
Question 52. One morning, Vikram’s shadow falls exactly to his right. He then turns 135° clockwise and subsequently 90° anticlockwise. Which direction is he facing?
a) North-West
b) North-East
c) South-West
d) South-East
Answer:
c) South-West — In the morning, the shadow falls towards West. If West is to Vikram’s right, he initially faces South. Turning 135° clockwise makes him face North-West, and turning 90° anticlockwise makes him face South-West.
Question 53. A person turns 135° anticlockwise, 225° clockwise and then 90° anticlockwise. If the person finally faces North-East, which direction was the person initially facing?
a) North
b) North-East
c) East
d) South-East
Answer:
b) North-East — The total anticlockwise rotation is 135° + 90° = 225°, which exactly cancels the 225° clockwise rotation. Therefore, the person’s direction does not change. Since the final direction is North-East, the initial direction was also North-East.
Question 54. A is 12 metres East of B. C is 5 metres North of A. D is 20 metres West of C, and E is 5 metres South of D. Where is E relative to B?
a) 8 metres East
b) 8 metres West
c) 12 metres West
d) 20 metres West
Answer:
b) 8 metres West — From B, A is 12 metres East. Moving 20 metres West from C results in a net westward displacement of 8 metres. The 5-metre northward and southward movements cancel. Therefore, E is 8 metres West of B.
Question 55. A is 16 metres North-East of B. C is 16 metres North-West of A. In which direction is C from B?
a) North
b) South
c) East
d) West
Answer:
a) North — The eastward component of the North-East movement is cancelled by the westward component of the North-West movement. The northward components add, placing C directly North of B.
Question 56. A faulty compass is rotated so that its North marking points towards the actual East. A traveller walks 10 metres in the direction marked North, then 6 metres in the direction marked East and finally 10 metres in the direction marked South. Where is the traveller relative to the starting point?
a) 6 metres North
b) 6 metres South
c) 6 metres East
d) 6 metres West
Answer:
b) 6 metres South — If the North marking points towards actual East, the East marking points towards actual South and the South marking points towards actual West. The 10-metre East and West movements cancel, leaving the traveller 6 metres South of the starting point.
Question 57. At exactly 6:00, a person faces the direction in which the hour hand of a correctly positioned clock points. The person then turns 135° anticlockwise. Which direction does the person face?
a) North-East
b) North-West
c) South-East
d) South-West
Answer:
a) North-East — At 6:00, the hour hand points South. Turning 135° anticlockwise from South takes the person through East and then to North-East.
Question 58. Q is 8 metres East of P. R is 15 metres North of Q, and S is 8 metres West of R. What is the shortest distance and direction of S from P?
a) 8 metres North
b) 15 metres North
c) 17 metres North-East
d) 15 metres South
Answer:
b) 15 metres North — The 8-metre eastward movement from P to Q is cancelled by the 8-metre westward movement from R to S. Only the 15-metre northward displacement remains, so S is 15 metres North of P.
Question 59. A man walks 6 metres North, 8 metres East, 6 metres South and then 15 metres West. Where is he from the starting point?
a) 7 metres East
b) 7 metres West
c) 9 metres West
d) 15 metres West
Answer:
b) 7 metres West — The 6-metre northward and southward movements cancel. Horizontally, the man walks 8 metres East and 15 metres West, leaving a net displacement of 7 metres West.
Question 60. A person walks 10 metres North-East, 10 metres North-West and then 10 metres South-West. What is the person’s shortest distance and direction from the starting point?
a) 10 metres North-East
b) 10 metres North-West
c) 10 metres South-West
d) 10√2 metres North-West
Answer:
b) 10 metres North-West — The eastward component of the first movement is cancelled by the westward component of the third movement, while the northward component of the first is cancelled by the southward component of the third. The second movement therefore determines the final displacement, which is 10 metres North-West.
