Q. A person walks 100 m straight from his house, turns left and walks 100 m,
again turns left and walks 300 m, then turns right and walks 100 m to reach his office. In which direction does he walk initially from his house if his office is exactly in the North-East direction?
a) North-West
b) West
c) South
d) South-West
Correct answer: c) South
Question from UPSC Prelims 2024 CSAT
Explanation :
Let’s analyze the person’s movements step by step to determine the initial direction:
1. Initial Direction: Suppose the person starts by walking South.
2. First Movement:
– Walks 100 m South.
– Position: (0, -100).
3. First Turn (Left):
– From South, turning left means facing East.
– Walks 100 m East.
– Position: (100, -100).
4. Second Turn (Left):
– From East, turning left means facing North.
– Walks 300 m North.
– Position: (100, 200).
5. Third Turn (Right):
– From North, turning right means facing East again.
– Walks 100 m East.
– Final Position: (200, 200).
The final position (200, 200) places the office North-East of the house, which matches the given condition.
Answer: c) South
