A man walks 5 km towards the south and then turns to his right. After walking 3 km, he turns to his left and walks a further 5 km. After completing this route, in which direction is he located from his original starting point?

Introduction / Context:
This is a direction sense question where a man walks along three line segments with specified turns. The focus is on interpreting right and left turns correctly based on current orientation and then determining the final direction of the man from his starting point. Such questions are common in exams to test mental mapping skills and careful interpretation of directions.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• He starts from an origin point.
• He walks 5 km south.
• From facing south, he turns right and walks 3 km west.
• From facing west, he turns left and walks 5 km south.
• We only need the final direction from the starting point, not the exact distance.

Concept / Approach:
We treat movements on a coordinate plane. The starting point is (0, 0). Movement towards the south decreases the y coordinate, movement towards the north increases it, movement towards the east increases the x coordinate, and movement towards the west decreases it. After computing the final coordinates, we look at the signs and magnitudes of x and y to identify the quadrant and hence the direction (for example, south west if x is negative and y is negative).

Step-by-Step Solution:
Start at (0, 0). Walk 5 km south to reach (0, -5). Facing south, a right turn leads west, so walk 3 km west to reach (-3, -5). Facing west, a left turn leads south, so walk another 5 km south to reach (-3, -10). Final position relative to origin is (-3, -10). Negative x means west of origin and negative y means south of origin, so he is in the south west direction from the starting point.

Verification / Alternative check:
Visualizing on a diagram, he first goes down, then left, then further down. The final point lies below and to the left of the start. Since we are only asked for direction, not distance, it is sufficient to note it is both south and west, that is, south west.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A: West would ignore the strong southward displacement.
Option B: South would ignore the westward displacement.
Option C: North East is in the opposite quadrant and clearly incorrect.
Option E: None of these is incorrect because South West is explicitly given.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates sometimes misapply right and left turns when facing south or west, imagining them relative to the page rather than to the walker orientation. Another error is assuming that only the last direction of movement matters, instead of assessing the net displacement. Always track cumulative x and y changes for reliability.

Final Answer:
The man is finally located in the South-West direction from his starting point.