Study the following information and answer the question. Point A is 8 m to the west of point B. Point C is 4 m to the south of point B. Point D is 4 m to the east of point C. Point F is 6 m to the north of point D. Point E is 8 m to the west of point F. Point G is 2 m to the south of point E. Point G is 4 m to the north of point H. What is the distance between points H and D?

Introduction / Context:
This is a grid based direction question describing several points located relative to one another. Instead of people walking, we have fixed points with given distances in metres. The task is to determine the straight line distance between two specific points, H and D, after interpreting all given positional relationships correctly. This tests diagram drawing, coordinate reasoning and attention to detail.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- Point A is 8 m west of point B. - Point C is 4 m south of point B. - Point D is 4 m east of point C. - Point F is 6 m north of point D. - Point E is 8 m west of point F. - Point G is 2 m south of point E. - Point G is 4 m north of point H, so H is 4 m south of G.

Concept / Approach:
The easiest method is to place one point at the origin of a coordinate system and compute coordinates for all other points by following the given directions. Once we have coordinates for H and D, we compute the distance between them. In this particular construction, H and D turn out to lie horizontally apart on the same east west line, so their distance is simply the absolute difference in their x coordinates.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Place point B at (0, 0) for convenience. 2. Point A is 8 m west of B, so A is at (-8, 0). 3. Point C is 4 m south of B, so C is at (0, -4). 4. Point D is 4 m east of C, so D is at (4, -4). 5. Point F is 6 m north of D, so F is at (4, 2). 6. Point E is 8 m west of F, so E is at (-4, 2). 7. Point G is 2 m south of E, so G is at (-4, 0). 8. G is 4 m north of H, so H must be 4 m south of G, at (-4, -4). 9. Thus H is at (-4, -4) and D is at (4, -4). They share the same y coordinate. 10. The distance between H and D is the difference in x coordinates: 4 - (-4) = 8 m.

Verification / Alternative check:
A sketch on graph paper confirms these coordinates. B at the centre, C directly below, D further right, F above D, E to the left of F, and G below E create a closed shape. Dropping 4 m from G to H lines H exactly below G and on the same horizontal level as C and D. Counting horizontal squares between H and D gives 8 m. Since there is no vertical separation, the straight line distance is simply this horizontal gap.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- 11 m or 10 m would require a diagonal separation or different coordinates, which the detailed construction does not support. - 6 m or 4 m underestimate the actual horizontal spacing between H and D. - Only 8 m matches the coordinate difference and the diagram.

Common Pitfalls:
One common error is mixing up east and west or forgetting that each new point is placed relative to the last defined point, not necessarily the origin. Another pitfall is misplacing H by moving it relative to the wrong point instead of G. Working step by step, writing coordinates and using a rough sketch minimizes the chance of such mistakes and makes the final calculation straightforward.

Final Answer:
The distance between points H and D is 8 m.