A man walks 7 km towards the South from a starting point and then turns to his left to walk 5 km.\nFrom there he turns to his right and walks another 7 km.\nIn which direction is he now located from the starting point?

Introduction / Context:
This direction sense question involves three straight segments of walking with left and right turns. We must determine the final direction of the man with respect to his starting position. The path includes South, East and South again, leading to a net displacement in a particular quadrant. The question does not ask for exact distance, only the direction from the starting point, which simplifies the computation.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The man starts from a fixed point.
• He walks 7 km towards the South.
• He then turns left and walks 5 km.
• From there, he turns right and walks another 7 km.
• We assume each left and right turn is a 90 degree turn.
• Standard direction conventions are used: from facing South, left is East and right is West; from facing East, right is South, and so on.

Concept / Approach:
We can track the man's movement on a coordinate plane by splitting his travel into horizontal (East–West) and vertical (North–South) components. Because he moves South twice and East once, there will be net South and net East displacements. The combination of these two components will place him in one of the four quadrants relative to the starting point, and we can identify that quadrant by noting that both the South and East components are positive in magnitude.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Assume the starting point is at (0, 0). Step 2: The man walks 7 km South, reaching (0, -7); he is now facing South. Step 3: From facing South, a left turn means facing East. Walking 5 km East brings him to (5, -7). Step 4: At this point, he faces East. From facing East, a right turn makes him face South again. Walking another 7 km South takes him to (5, -14). Step 5: Comparing with the origin (0, 0), his final coordinates (5, -14) indicate he is 5 km to the East and 14 km to the South of the starting point. Step 6: Being both East and South of the origin places him in the South-East direction relative to the starting point.

Verification / Alternative check:
We do not need the exact distance to determine the direction, but we can check the components. Total Southward distance is 7 km + 7 km = 14 km. Total Northward distance is zero, so net Southward movement is 14 km. Total Eastward distance is 5 km and total Westward distance is zero, so net Eastward movement is 5 km. Since there is both Southward and Eastward displacement, the final direction must be South-East. Drawing the path with arrows further confirms that he is located in the quadrant that is both below and to the right of the starting point.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
West would require a net displacement to the left of the origin, but there is no Westward movement here. South alone ignores the Eastward shift of 5 km; he is not directly below the starting point. North-East would place him above the origin, which contradicts the fact that all vertical motion is towards the South. East alone ignores the substantial Southward component and would only be correct if there were no net vertical displacement.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to misinterpret the left turn from South, thinking it leads to West instead of East. Another is to overlook the second Southward movement or to assume that opposite vertical motions cancel, even when there is no Northward movement. Keeping a simple tally of North–South and East–West movements, or sketching the path, helps avoid these issues and makes the South-East answer obvious.

Final Answer:
The man is now located in the South-East direction from the starting point.