Aruna leaves and goes 8 meters in the North direction from a certain point. Then she turns right and travels for 12 meters. She again turns right and travels for 8 meters. Now at what distance and in which direction is she from her starting point?

Appeared in: KGMU 2023

Explanation

Aruna's initial movement of 8 meters North is perfectly cancelled out by her final movement of 8 meters South.
This results in a net vertical (North-South) displacement of zero, meaning she is neither North nor South of her starting latitude.
Her only remaining displacement is the 12 meters she traveled to the East after her first right turn.
Therefore, her final position is exactly 12 meters to the East of her starting point.

Option A: The distance is incorrect. While the direction (East) is correct, Aruna traveled 12 meters in that direction, not 8 meters.
Option B: The direction is incorrect. When facing North, a right turn leads to the East. To go West, she would have needed to turn left.
Option C: Both the distance and direction are incorrect. The net vertical (North-South) displacement is zero, and the horizontal distance is 12 meters East.

Visual 1: Diagram - A simple diagram showing a starting point, with an arrow pointing up (North) labeled '8m', then an arrow pointing right (East) labeled '12m', and finally an arrow pointing down (South) labeled '8m'. This visually demonstrates that the start and end points are on the same horizontal line, separated by 12m.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Direction and Distance Reasoning as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
While not a clinical question, spatial reasoning and logical deduction are essential skills for nurses.
These skills are crucial for tasks like navigating a large hospital complex, locating equipment quickly in an emergency, and understanding spatial relationships for patient positioning and wound care.
Aptitude questions like this are included in nursing exams to assess a candidate's general problem-solving abilities, which are transferable to the clinical setting.

How to Approach the Question

First, establish the cardinal directions (North, East, South, West) as a frame of reference.
Read the problem carefully and trace the path of movement step-by-step. It is highly recommended to draw a simple diagram.
For each step, note the direction of travel and the distance covered.
Calculate the total distance traveled in opposing directions (North vs. South, East vs. West).
Subtract the smaller distance from the larger distance for each pair of opposing directions to find the net displacement.
The final answer will be the net displacement and the corresponding direction from the starting point.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Direction and Distance Reasoning
Stem keywords: North direction, turns right, travels for 12 meters, travels for 8 meters, starting point
Lead-in keywords: what distance, which direction

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Practise the full KGMU 2023

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