In the evening, A and D were standing face to face in the sunlight. Person A's shadow was on D's right side. In which direction is D standing?

Appeared in: NORCET 1 - 2020

Explanation

In the evening, the sun is in the West.
Shadows are cast in the opposite direction of the light source, so shadows fall towards the East.
The question states that Person A's shadow is on Person D's right side, meaning D's right side is oriented towards the East.
If a person's right side points East, they must be facing North.

Option A: If D were facing West, their right side would point North, but the problem establishes their right side is to the East.
Option B: If D were facing South, their right side would point West. The problem states their right side is to the East.
Option C: If D were facing East, their right side would point South, not East as required by the problem's logic.

Visual 1: Diagram - A compass rose showing the cardinal directions (North, South, East, West) to help visualize the orientation.
Visual 2: Infographic - An illustration showing the sun in the West, a person casting a shadow to the East, and another person standing so the shadow is on their right, demonstrating they are facing North.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Logical reasoning involving directions and shadow formation based on the time of day as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
This type of logical reasoning is a foundational skill for problem-solving and is often included in general intelligence sections of competitive exams.
It tests spatial awareness and the ability to deduce information from relative positions and environmental clues.
What if the question stated it was morning? In the morning, the sun is in the East, casting shadows to the West. If A's shadow was on D's right, D's right side would be West, meaning D would be facing South.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the time of day mentioned in the problem ('evening') to determine the sun's position.
Second, deduce the direction of the shadow based on the sun's position. In the evening, the sun is in the West, so shadows are cast to the East.
Third, use the key relational clue provided: 'Person A's shadow was on D's right side'. This directly links the shadow's direction (East) to D's orientation.
Finally, visualize or use a mental compass. If your right side is pointing East, you must be facing North. This leads to the correct answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Logical reasoning involving directions and shadow formation based on the time of day.
Stem keywords: evening, sunlight, shadow, face to face, right side
Lead-in keywords: In which direction

Q9ghmsHTuP1I5T96Lyj_MI

Practise the full NORCET 1 - 2020

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