A person walks 5 km towards north and then turns towards east and walks 8 km. He then turns right and walks 10 km and again turns right and walk 6 km. He then turns right and walks 5 km. Where is he standing right now with respect to the starting point?

1. A

   2 km east

2. B

   4 km east

3. C

   4 km west

4. D

   2 km west

Appeared in: DSSSB - 29 August 2019 (Shift-2)

Explanation

• The problem can be solved by tracking the person's coordinates on a 2D plane, starting from an origin (0,0).
• Initial move: 5 km North places the person at (0, 5).
• Second move: 8 km East moves the person to (0+8, 5) = (8, 5).
• Third move: A right turn from East is South. Walking 10 km South changes the position to (8, 5-10) = (8, -5).
• Fourth move: A right turn from South is West. Walking 6 km West changes the position to (8-6, -5) = (2, -5).
• Final move: A right turn from West is North. Walking 5 km North results in the final position (2, -5+5) = (2, 0).

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option B: This would be the result of miscalculating the final east-west position. For example, if the westward movement was only 4 km instead of 6 km (8-4=4).
• Option C: This indicates a final position to the west of the starting point, which is incorrect. The net movement in the east-west direction is 8 km east minus 6 km west, resulting in a 2 km east displacement.
• Option D: This would mean the final x-coordinate is -2. This is incorrect as the eastward movement (8 km) was greater than the westward movement (6 km).

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Directional Sense and Reasoning as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
• This question tests logical and spatial reasoning, which are fundamental cognitive skills.
• While not a clinical question, these reasoning skills are crucial for nurses in tasks like navigating a large hospital, understanding spatial relationships in patient positioning, and interpreting complex information under pressure.
• What if the person turned left instead of right at every turn? The path would be completely different, likely ending up northwest of the starting point. This highlights the critical importance of correctly interpreting every directional cue.

How to Approach the Question

• Read the question carefully, noting each distance and turn.
• Establish a starting point and a coordinate system (e.g., a 2D grid with North, South, East, West axes). Let the starting point be (0,0).
• Track the person's position step-by-step. Update the coordinates after each movement.
• Pay close attention to the direction of turns. A right turn from North is East, from East is South, from South is West, and from West is North.
• After the last step, calculate the final displacement from the starting point (0,0). The final coordinates (x, y) will give the distance and direction from the start.
• Compare your result with the given options to find the correct answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: Directional Sense and Reasoning
• Stem keywords: walks, north, east, right, starting point
• Lead-in keywords: Where is he standing

Question ID

QFdXo2xmMOO8wYf4j-T8rf

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