Kavya travels 8 meters in North direction from a certain starting 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, she is from her starting point?

Appeared in: AIIMS CRE 2025

Explanation

Kavya's first move is 8 meters North.
Her second move is a right turn (to East) and 12 meters forward.
Her third move is another right turn (to South) and 8 meters forward.
The 8-meter North movement is cancelled by the 8-meter South movement, resulting in zero vertical (North-South) displacement.
The only remaining displacement is the 12-meter movement towards the East.
Therefore, her final position is 12 meters East of her starting point.

Option B: This is incorrect. The initial 8-meter Northward movement was completely cancelled out by the final 8-meter Southward movement.
Option C: This is incorrect because a right turn from a Northward direction leads to the East, not the West.
Option D: This is incorrect. The 8-meter Southward movement only served to bring her back to the same horizontal line as her starting point; it did not result in a net Southward displacement from the start.

Visual 1: Diagram - A simple map showing the path taken by Kavya. It starts at a point, goes up (North) for 8m, turns right (East) for 12m, and then turns down (South) for 8m, forming three sides of a rectangle. An arrow from the start point to the end point shows the final displacement of 12m East.

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.
This type of question assesses logical and spatial reasoning, which are fundamental skills for problem-solving in any profession.
While not a clinical question, nurses use spatial reasoning daily for tasks like navigating a hospital, positioning patients correctly for procedures, and organizing medical equipment in a patient's room.
What if? - If Kavya had turned left instead of right on her first turn (from North), her final position would be 12 meters West of her starting point.

How to Approach the Question

Read the question carefully to identify the starting direction and all subsequent turns and distances.
Draw a simple diagram to visualize the path. Use arrows for direction and label the distances.
Keep track of the cardinal directions (North, South, East, West). Remember that a right turn from North is East, from East is South, and so on.
Calculate the net displacement in the North-South and East-West directions separately by adding movements in one direction and subtracting movements in the opposite direction.
Combine the net displacements to find the final position and distance from the starting point.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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Practise the full AIIMS CRE 2025

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