Amit is facing north. He turns 90 degrees to his right and walks for 50 metres. Then he turns towards the south and walks 50 metres. Next he turns right again and walks another 50 metres and, from there, he walks 50 metres towards the north. In which direction or position is he now from his original starting position?

Introduction / Context:
This direction sense question describes Amit walking in a path that resembles a square or rectangle and then asks about his final location relative to the starting point. Although there are multiple turns and equal distances, the overall effect may cancel, bringing him back to where he started. The problem tests whether candidates can recognise and confirm such symmetric paths using systematic reasoning.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Amit is initially facing north.
• He turns 90 degrees to his right and walks 50 metres.
• He then turns towards the south and walks 50 metres.
• Next he turns right again and walks another 50 metres.
• From there he walks 50 metres towards the north.
• All movements are along cardinal directions and turns are perpendicular.
• We must determine where he is relative to the original starting point.

Concept / Approach:
We will map Amit's path on a coordinate plane. Place his starting point at (0, 0), with north as positive y and east as positive x. Each movement updates either the x or y coordinate. Because the distances are equal (all 50 metres) and movements form a loop, we suspect he may return to the origin, but we will confirm this by explicit calculation. This type of reasoning ensures we do not rely on visual guesses alone.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Begin at (0, 0), facing north. Step 2: Turning 90 degrees right from north makes Amit face east. Walking 50 metres east moves him to (50, 0). Step 3: From facing east, turning towards the south means facing south. Walking 50 metres south moves him to (50, -50). Step 4: From facing south, a right turn makes him face west. Walking 50 metres west moves him from (50, -50) back to (0, -50). Step 5: Finally, from facing west, he walks 50 metres north. This increases the y coordinate by 50, moving him from (0, -50) to (0, 0). Step 6: The final coordinates are (0, 0), which are exactly the same as the starting coordinates. Step 7: Therefore, Amit returns to his original position.

Verification / Alternative check:
We can see that Amit essentially walks around the four sides of a square of side 50 metres. He starts at one corner, goes east 50 metres, then south 50 metres, then west 50 metres, and finally north 50 metres. Such a closed loop always brings him back to the starting corner. As long as each side is equal and the sequence of turns is consistent, the path is a complete circuit, which confirms that his final position coincides with the initial position.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Option A, South-West, would imply a net negative x and y displacement, which is not the case once we consider the full loop.
• Option C, North-East, would require positive x and y coordinates at the end, contradicting the return to (0, 0).
• Option D, North-West, would require a negative x and positive y displacement, again not matching the calculated coordinates.
• Option E, South-East, would require positive x and negative y displacement, which is also inconsistent with the final coordinates.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes stop tracking the path before the final movement or misinterpret one of the right turns, leading them to believe that Amit ends up at a corner of the square instead of the starting point. Another error is to focus only on total distance walked rather than displacement. Remember that displacement depends on net change in position, which can be zero even when a large distance has been covered in a closed loop.

Final Answer:
Amit returns exactly to his starting position, so he is At the original position.