Vishal travels 8 km towards the east, then turns left and travels another 5 km, and finally turns 270 degrees anticlockwise from his current facing direction. In which cardinal direction is he facing now?

Introduction / Context:
This problem focuses purely on turning directions rather than positions. After making some moves, Vishal makes a 270 degree anticlockwise turn, and we are asked to find his final facing direction. Understanding how to interpret clockwise and anticlockwise rotations around the compass is essential for many direction sense and reasoning questions.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Vishal first travels 8 km towards the east.
• He then turns left and travels 5 km, which makes him face north during that second leg.
• From that north facing orientation, he turns 270 degrees anticlockwise.
• The distance covered after the final turn is not given and is not needed, as the question asks only for the facing direction.

Concept / Approach:
We track only Vishal's orientation. Starting from east, a left turn is equivalent to a 90 degree anticlockwise rotation, placing him facing north. From north, a 270 degree anticlockwise rotation can be thought of as three successive left turns or a single right turn (90 degrees clockwise), because rotating anticlockwise by 270 degrees is the same as rotating clockwise by 90 degrees. We can use either interpretation to determine the final direction.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Initially Vishal is facing east during his first 8 km of travel.Step 2: He then turns left. A left turn from east means turning 90 degrees anticlockwise to face north.Step 3: Now he faces north. From this orientation, he makes a 270 degree anticlockwise turn.Step 4: A convenient way to think about a 270 degree anticlockwise turn is that it equals three successive 90 degree anticlockwise turns.Step 5: From north, one 90 degree anticlockwise turn leads to west, the second leads to south, and the third leads to east.Step 6: Thus, after the full 270 degree anticlockwise turn, Vishal will be facing east.

Verification / Alternative check:
We can also treat a 270 degree anticlockwise rotation as a 90 degree clockwise rotation, since both complete a full 360 degrees when combined. From north, a 90 degree clockwise turn clearly leads to east. This alternative reasoning confirms that east is the correct final facing direction.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A (West) corresponds to a 90 degree anticlockwise turn from north, not 270 degrees. Option C (North) would be the direction if Vishal did not rotate at all. Option D (South) corresponds to a 180 degree turn. Hence, only option B matches the required 270 degree anticlockwise rotation, giving east as the final facing direction.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates often confuse 270 degrees anticlockwise with 270 degrees clockwise or misinterpret it as 90 degrees in the opposite sense. A useful strategy is to remember that turning anticlockwise by 270 degrees is equivalent to turning clockwise by 90 degrees. Drawing a simple compass and marking each 90 degree turn is another quick method to avoid confusion.

Final Answer:
After completing the described turns, Vishal is facing east, so the correct option is “East”.