Practice Questions
Concept Explanation
Direction-sense questions give a path with turns (left/right) or fixed compass legs (North, East, …). You either find how far the person is from the start, which direction, or which way they face after turns.
Rules to remember
- Right / left depends on current facing: from North, right = East, left = West.
- Opposite pairs: North ↔ South, East ↔ West.
- Shortest distance: treat North–South and East–West legs separately; cancel equal opposites; use a² + b² for the diagonal.
- Common triple: North → right → East → right → South often cancels the first and last North/South legs.
How to solve fast
- Mark start as (0, 0); North = +y, East = +x (or sketch arrows).
- Update facing after each turn before the next walk.
- Add all northward and southward legs; add all eastward and westward legs.
- For facing-only items, count quarter-turns (90°) clockwise or anticlockwise.
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Q1 EasyA man walks 5 km North, turns right and walks 3 km, then turns right again and walks 5 km. How far is he from the starting point?ExplanationNorth 5 km and South 5 km cancel. He finishes 3 km East of the start, so the distance is 3 km.
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Q2 EasyA man walks 5 km North, turns right and walks 3 km, then turns right again and walks 5 km. In which direction is he from the starting point?ExplanationVertical legs cancel; only the 3 km East displacement remains.
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Q3 EasyA man walks 4 km North and then 3 km East. What is the shortest distance from the starting point?ExplanationRight triangle 3–4–5: √(4² + 3²) = 5 km.
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Q4 EasyA man walks 6 km North and 8 km East. How far is he from the starting point?ExplanationUse 6–8–10 triangle: distance = 10 km.
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Q5 EasyA man walks 9 km North and 12 km East. What is the distance from the starting point?Explanation9–12–15 triangle: √(9² + 12²) = 15 km.
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Q6 EasyA man walks 30 m East and then 40 m North. What is his displacement from the start?ExplanationDisplacement is the straight line: √(30² + 40²) = 50 m.
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Q7 EasyA man walks 2 km East, 2 km North, 2 km West, and 2 km South. What is his displacement from the start?ExplanationThe path closes a rectangle; he returns to the start.
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Q8 EasyA man walks 12 m North and 5 m East. How far is he from the starting point?Explanation5–12–13 triangle → 13 m.
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Q9 EasyA man walks 15 m North and 8 m East. What is the shortest distance from the start?Explanation8–15–17 triangle → 17 m.
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Q10 EasyA man walks 20 m North and 15 m East. How far is he from the starting point?Explanation15–20–25 triangle → 25 m.
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Q11 EasyA man walks 40 m North and 30 m East. How far is he from the starting point?Explanation30–40–50 triangle → 50 m.
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Q12 EasyA man walks 16 m North and 12 m East. What is the shortest distance from the start?Explanation12–16–20 triangle → 20 m.
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Q13 EasyA man walks 3 m South and 4 m East. How far is he from the starting point?Explanation3–4–5 triangle → 5 m (south-east of start).
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Q14 EasyA man walks 8 m West and 6 m North. What is the distance from the starting point?Explanation6–8–10 triangle → 10 m.
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Q15 EasyA man walks 8 m North, turns right and walks 6 m, then turns right and walks 8 m. How far is he from the start?ExplanationSame cancel pattern as 5–3–5: North/South cancel; 6 m East remains.
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Q16 EasyA man walks 1 km North, 1 km East, and 1 km South. How far is he from the starting point?ExplanationNorth 1 km and South 1 km cancel; 1 km East remains.
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Q17 EasyA man walks 5 m North, 2 m West, and 5 m South. How far is he from the start?ExplanationNorth/South cancel; 2 m West remains.
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Q18 EasyA man walks 4 m South, 3 m East, and 4 m North. How far is he from the starting point?ExplanationSouth/North cancel; 3 m East remains (mirror of the 5–3–5 pattern).
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Q19 EasyA man is facing North. He turns 90° clockwise. Which direction is he facing now?ExplanationOne clockwise quarter-turn from North is East.
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Q20 EasyA man is facing North. He turns 180° clockwise. Which direction is he facing?ExplanationHalf turn from North points to South.
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Q21 EasyA man is facing East. He turns 90° anticlockwise. Which direction is he facing?ExplanationAnticlockwise quarter-turn from East is North.
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Q22 EasyA man is facing West. He turns 90° clockwise. Which direction is he facing?ExplanationClockwise quarter-turn from West is North.
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Q23 EasyIn the morning, the sun rises in the East. A pole casts a shadow on the ground. Towards which direction does the shadow point?ExplanationSun in the East → shadow falls towards the West.
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Q24 MediumA man walks 10 m South, turns left and walks 5 m, turns left and walks 10 m, then turns right and walks 5 m. How far is he from the start?ExplanationSouth 10 m and North 10 m cancel. Eastward moves are 5 m + 5 m = 10 m East of the start.
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Q25 MediumA man walks 30 m East and then 40 m North. What is the difference between the total distance walked and the displacement?ExplanationDistance walked = 70 m; displacement = 50 m; difference = 20 m.
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Q26 MediumA man walks 7 m North and 24 m East. What is the distance from the starting point?Explanation7–24–25 triangle → 25 m.
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Q27 MediumA man walks 18 m North and 24 m East. How far is he from the starting point?Explanation18–24–30 triangle → 30 m.
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Q28 MediumA man walks 5 m North, then 5 m East. What is the approximate shortest distance from the start?Explanation√(5² + 5²) = √50 ≈ 7.07 m → about 7 m.
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Q29 MediumA man walks 10 m North and 10 m West. What is the approximate distance from the start?Explanation√(10² + 10²) = √200 ≈ 14.1 m → about 14 m (north-west).
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Q30 MediumAfter walking 6 km North and 8 km East from the start, what is the minimum straight distance he must walk to return to the start?ExplanationReturn path equals displacement magnitude: 6–8–10 → 10 km (towards South-West).
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Q31 MediumA man walks 20 m North, turns right and walks 20 m, turns right and walks 20 m, then turns left and walks 10 m. How far is he from the start?ExplanationNorth 20 and South 20 cancel; East 20 + 10 = 30 m East of start.
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Q32 MediumA man walks 100 m North and 100 m East. What is the approximate distance from the starting point?Explanation√(100² + 100²) = 100√2 ≈ 141 m.
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Q33 MediumA man is facing South. He turns left three times (each 90°). Which direction is he facing?ExplanationThree left turns = 270° anticlockwise from South → West.
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Q34 MediumA man walks 14 m South, turns left and walks 9 m, turns left and walks 14 m, then turns left and walks 9 m. How far is he from the start?ExplanationThe path forms a closed rectangle; he returns to the start.
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Q35 MediumA man walks 10 km towards South, then turns left and walks 5 km, then turns left and walks 10 km, then turns right and walks 5 km. In which direction is he from the start?ExplanationSame net as the 10 m South puzzle scaled: 10 km East of the start.
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Q36 MediumA man walks 24 m North and 7 m West. What is the distance from the starting point?Explanation7–24–25 triangle → 25 m (north-west).
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Q37 HardStarting at point A, a person walks 30 m North, then 20 m West, then 10 m South, then 15 m East, and finally 20 m South. How far is the final point from A?ExplanationTrack on axes: end at 5 m West of A on the same east–west line (net North/South cancel). Distance from A is 5 m.
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Q38 HardA person walks 20 m South, then 30 m East, then 10 m South, then 40 m West. How far and in which direction is he from the start?ExplanationNet South 30 m, West 10 m. Distance √(30²+10²)=10√10 m, direction South-West.
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Q39 HardIf South-East becomes North, what direction will South-West become?ExplanationSE rotates to N (135° anticlockwise). Apply the same rotation to SW → East (classic rotation code).
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Q40 HardA man walks 11 m North and 60 m East. How far is he from the starting point?Explanation11–60–61 triangle: √(11² + 60²) = 61 m.