A man walks $10\mathrm{km}$ in the South direction. He takes a right and walks $5\mathrm{km}$ and takes another right turn to walk $6\mathrm{km}$ . He then finally takes another right turn and walks $5\mathrm{km}$ to reach the destination. How far is he from the starting point?

1. A

   8 km

2. B

   10 km

3. C

   4 km

4. D

   6 km

Appeared in: RRB Nsg. Superintendent-20 July 2019 (Shift-3rd)

Explanation

• The man's 5 km westward journey is completely nullified by his 5 km eastward journey, bringing him back to the same north-south line he started on.
• His initial 10 km southward movement is partially reversed by a 6 km northward movement.
• The net displacement is the difference between the southward and northward travel: 10 km - 6 km = 4 km.
• He ends up 4 km south of his starting point, which is the final distance from the origin.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option A: This value does not correspond to any logical calculation based on the given movements.
• Option B: This is the distance of the first leg of the journey, not the final displacement from the origin after all subsequent movements.
• Option D: This is the distance of the third leg of the journey (northward), not the final net distance from the start.

Related Visual

• Visual 1: Diagram - A diagram showing the path of the man. A starting point, a line going 10 units down (South), then 5 units left (West), then 6 units up (North), and finally 5 units right (East). The final point is shown to be 4 units directly below the starting point.

Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Solving direction and distance problems involving multiple turns as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
• This type of logical reasoning is crucial for systematically processing information and making decisions, a skill applicable in many professional fields, including nursing, where step-by-step procedures and assessments are common.
• It tests spatial awareness and the ability to visualize and manipulate paths mentally, which is useful for tasks like navigating a hospital or understanding anatomical relationships.
• What if the second turn was left instead of right? Facing West, a left turn would be South. He would walk 6 km South, ending up 16 km South and 5 km West from the start. The distance would then be √(16² + 5²) = √281 km, using the Pythagorean theorem.

How to Approach the Question

• Read the question carefully, noting the starting direction and each subsequent turn and distance.
• Visualize or sketch the path. It's helpful to use a simple coordinate system or draw arrows for North, South, East, and West.
• Track the movement on each axis (North-South and East-West) separately.
• Calculate the net movement. Add movements in the same direction and subtract movements in opposite directions (e.g., South vs. North, East vs. West).
• In this case, the 5 km West and 5 km East movements cancel out.
• The final distance is the net North-South movement: 10 km South minus 6 km North equals 4 km.

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: Solving direction and distance problems involving multiple turns.
• Stem keywords: walks, South, right turn, km, far from starting point
• Lead-in keywords: How far

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Q7wzJVbdShUisjXGrulBYy

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