A girl stands on the lawn facing East direction. She turns 45 degrees in clockwise direction and 135 degrees in anticlockwise direction. Which direction is she facing now?

Appeared in: RRB Nsg. Superintendent-20 July 2019 (Shift-1)

Explanation

The problem is solved by calculating the net rotation from the initial position.
The two turns are in opposite directions: 135° anticlockwise and 45° clockwise.
The net rotation is the difference between the two, which is 135° - 45° = 90° in the direction of the larger turn (anticlockwise).
Starting from the East, a 90° anticlockwise turn points directly to the North.

Option A: To face West from East, a 180-degree turn is required. The net turn in this problem is only 90 degrees anticlockwise.
Option C: To end up facing East again, the net rotation must be 0 or 360 degrees. The calculated net rotation is 90 degrees.
Option D: To face South from East, a 90-degree clockwise turn is needed. The net rotation was 90 degrees anticlockwise.

Visual 1: Diagram - A compass rose showing the four cardinal directions (North, South, East, West). An arrow starting at 'East', then showing a 90-degree anticlockwise rotation to point at 'North', illustrating the net movement.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Directional Sense and Rotation as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
This type of question tests logical and spatial reasoning, which are fundamental cognitive skills.
While not directly clinical, strong reasoning skills are crucial for nurses in problem-solving, prioritizing tasks, and interpreting complex patient information.
What if the turns were 135 degrees clockwise and 45 degrees anticlockwise? The net turn would be 90 degrees clockwise. Starting from East, she would then be facing South.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the starting direction, which is East.
Next, list all the turns with their direction (clockwise or anticlockwise) and magnitude (degrees).
Calculate the 'net turn' by treating clockwise and anticlockwise as opposite directions. Subtract the smaller turn from the larger one.
The direction of the net turn will be the same as the direction of the larger initial turn (in this case, anticlockwise).
Apply this net turn to the starting direction to find the final position.
Visualize a compass to confirm the final direction. A 90-degree anticlockwise turn from East is North.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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Practise the full RRB Nsg. Superintendent-20 July 2019 (Shift-1)

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.