Back to home from a misdirected path: A boy goes 3 km South from school, then 2 km East, then 3 km North, then 1 km West to reach home. Home is in which direction from the school?
Verbal Reasoning
Direction Sense Test
Difficulty: Easy
Choose an option
-
ASouth
-
BWest
-
CNorth
-
DEast
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ENone of these
Answer
Correct Answer: East
Explanation
Introduction / Context:Compute net displacement from the school to the home after the loop-like path.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- South 3 then North 3 ⇒ vertical cancels to 0.
- East 2 then West 1 ⇒ net East 1.
Concept / Approach:Combine orthogonal components to get resultant direction.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Start (0,0) → (0,−3) → (2,−3) → (2,0) → (1,0).Home relative to school = (1,0) ⇒ East.Verification / Alternative check:Only an uncompensated 1 km East remains.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:They require residual North/South/West components which do not exist.
Common Pitfalls:Assuming last West step overcompensates the earlier East move.
Final Answer:East