Ramu starts from his house; moves towards the east; walks 90 m; turns right and moves 20 m. He turns right again and moves 30 m. Finally, he turns right and walks 100 m. In which direction should he walk to reach his house again?

Appeared in: PGIMER NO - 2020

Explanation

After all the movements, Ramu's final position is 60 meters East and 80 meters North relative to his starting point (his house).
To return to the starting point from this new location, he must travel in the exact opposite direction.
The direction opposite to North-East is South-West.
Therefore, he must walk in the South-West direction to get back to his house.

Option A: This describes the direction of Ramu's final location from his house, not the direction he needs to walk to get back to his house.
Option C: Walking South-East would mean moving further South and East, taking him even farther away from his house, which is located to his South-West.
Option D: Walking North-West would mean moving further North while moving towards the West. This path would not lead him directly back to his house.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Directional Sense and Displacement in Logical Reasoning as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
While not a clinical skill, spatial reasoning is crucial for navigating complex hospital layouts, locating equipment quickly in an emergency, and understanding anatomical directions (e.g., superior, inferior, anterior, posterior).
This type of logical problem-solving enhances critical thinking, a core competency for nurses in assessing patient situations and planning care.
What if? - If Ramu's final turn was to the left instead of the right, he would have faced South and walked 100m from (60, -20). His final position would be (60, -120). To return home, he would need to walk North-West.

How to Approach the Question

First, establish a coordinate system. Assume the starting point is the origin (0, 0) on a standard x-y plane, where East is the positive x-axis and North is the positive y-axis.
Carefully track each movement, updating the coordinates. Remember that a right turn changes the direction of movement by 90 degrees clockwise (East → South → West → North).
Calculate the final coordinates after all movements are completed.
Determine the final position relative to the starting point. For example, a final coordinate of (X, Y) means the person is X units East/West and Y units North/South of the start.
The direction to return home is the exact opposite of the final position's direction. If the final position is North-East of the start, the return direction is South-West.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Directional Sense and Displacement in Logical Reasoning
Stem keywords: starts from his house, moves towards the east, walks 90 m, turns right, moves 20 m, turns right again, moves 30 m, finally, he turns right
Lead-in keywords: In which direction should he walk to reach his house again?

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Practise the full PGIMER NO - 2020

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