One morning after sunrise, Reeta and Kavita were talking to each other face to face. If Kavita's shadow was exactly to the right of Reeta, which direction was Reeta facing?

Appeared in: DSSSB 6 September 2024

Explanation

In the morning, the sun rises in the East, which causes all shadows to be cast towards the West.
The question states that Kavita's shadow is to the right of Reeta. This means the West direction is on Reeta's right side.
If a person's right side points towards the West, they must be facing South.
Therefore, Reeta was facing South. As Kavita was face-to-face with her, Kavita was facing North.

Option A: If Reeta were facing North, her right side would point to the East. Kavita's shadow, which is in the West, would be to Reeta's left, contradicting the given information.
Option C: If Reeta were facing East (towards the sun), her right side would point South. Kavita's shadow, which is in the West, would be behind Reeta, not to her right.
Option D: If Reeta were facing West (the direction of the shadow), her right side would point North. Kavita's shadow would be in front of her, not to her right.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Directional Sense and Shadow-Based Reasoning as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
While not a clinical question, this type of problem assesses logical and spatial reasoning skills, which are crucial for nurses.
Nurses use spatial reasoning for tasks like navigating complex hospital layouts, correctly positioning patients for procedures, and accurately documenting wound locations using anatomical directions (e.g., superior, medial, lateral).
What if the question stated it was evening/sunset? In the evening, the sun is in the West, and shadows are cast to the East. If Kavita's shadow was to Reeta's right (East), Reeta would have to be facing North.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the time of day given in the problem (morning/sunrise) to determine the sun's position in the sky.
Second, deduce the direction of the shadow. Shadows are always cast opposite to the light source, so if the sun is in the East, shadows are in the West.
Third, analyze the relational statement: 'Kavita's shadow was exactly to the right of Reeta'. This links a cardinal direction (West) to one of Reeta's sides (right).
Finally, determine the direction Reeta is facing. If your right side points West, you must be facing South. You can confirm this by visualizing a standard compass.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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Practise the full DSSSB 6 September 2024

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