Logical Reasoning · Codes, Relations & Directions
Direction Sense — Questions & Answers
Direction sense questions describe a walk or a set of positions and ask for a final direction or distance. Sketch each step, keeping north at the top.
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Draw the path on a rough grid with north at the top. After each turn, note the new heading (a right turn from north faces east). Add up the east-west and north-south parts, then use Pythagoras for the straight-line distance.
Track the heading after every turn: right = 90° clockwise, left = 90° anticlockwise, back = 180°. With the sun, the morning sun is in the east and the evening sun in the west.
Place the first point at the centre and add the others one fact at a time. Read the answer from the point you are standing at ("C from D" means stand at D and look at C).
In the morning the sun is in the east, so shadows fall to the west. In the evening the sun is in the west, so shadows fall to the east. Then turn the shadow's side (left, right, front, behind) into a facing direction.
5 solved Direction Sense questions
Kumar walked 6 m towards the north, then turned right and walked 8 m. How far and in which direction is Kumar from the starting point?
Solution — answer C
Taking east and north as positive, Kumar ends at (8, 6) m from the start. That is 10 m to the North-East.
5 steps · reveal one at a timeStep 1: Trace the path
Imagine Kumar starting at a point. First, he walks 6 m towards the North. From there, he turns right. If you are facing North, turning right means you are now facing East.
Step 2: Locate final position
After turning right, Kumar walks 8 m. So, he walked 6 m North and then 8 m East. We can represent his final position relative to the start using coordinates, like (8,6) if start is (0,0).
Step 3: Calculate the distance
The path forms a right-angled triangle, with sides 6 m and 8 m. We need to find the hypotenuse, which is the direct distance. Use the Pythagorean theorem: 62+82=36+64=100=10 m.
Step 4: Determine direction
Kumar's final position is 8 m East and 6 m North of his starting point. This combination of directions places him in the North-East direction relative to where he began.
Step 5: The answer
So the answer is (C) 10 m, North-East. Kumar is 10 m away from the start, and his final position is to the North-East.
Anbu is facing North. He turns right, then right again, then left. Which direction is Anbu facing now?
Solution — answer D
The direction changes North → East → South → East, so Anbu now faces East.
5 steps · reveal one at a timeStep 1: Initial Direction
Anbu starts by facing North. This is our initial position before any turns are made.
Step 2: First Turn
Anbu turns right from North. A right turn from North will change his direction to East.
Step 3: Second Turn
From East, Anbu turns right again. A right turn from East will change his direction to South.
Step 4: Final Turn
From South, Anbu turns left. A left turn from South will change his direction to East.
Step 5: The answer
So the answer is (D) East. After all the turns, Anbu is now facing East.
Village B is to the east of village A. Village C is to the north of B, and village D is to the south of A. In which direction is C from D?
Solution — answer C
Plot the points from the facts. Whatever the actual distances, C is always to the North-East of D.
5 steps · reveal one at a timeStep 1: Place A and B
First, let's establish the positions of Village A and Village B. The question states that Village B is to the east of Village A. Imagine A is at the origin of a map.
Step 2: Add C and D
Next, we add Village C and Village D. Village C is to the north of B, so C will be directly above B. Village D is to the south of A, meaning D will be directly below A.
Step 3: Visualize the layout
Now, picture all four villages. A is to the left of B, and D is below A. C is above B. This forms a rough rectangle or square, with D at the bottom-left and C at the top-right.
Step 4: Find C from D
To find the direction of C from D, imagine standing at D and looking towards C. You would need to move both upwards (North) and to the right (East) to reach C. This combined movement is North-East.
Step 5: The answer
So the answer is (C) North-East. Regardless of the exact distances between the villages, C will always be in the North-East direction relative to D based on the given positional facts.
One morning Kavin stood facing a tree, and his own shadow fell exactly behind him. Which direction was he facing?
Solution — answer A
In the morning the sun is in the east, so shadows fall to the west. The shadow is behind Kavin, so Kavin faces East.
4 steps · reveal one at a timeStep 1: Sun's Morning Position
The question specifies it's morning. During the morning hours, the sun is always located in the east. This is a key piece of information for determining shadow direction.
Step 2: Shadow Direction
Since the sun is in the east in the morning, any shadows cast by objects will naturally fall in the opposite direction of the sun. Therefore, all shadows will point towards the west.
Step 3: Kavin's Facing
Kavin's shadow fell exactly behind him. We've established that shadows fall to the west. If his shadow is behind him, Kavin must be facing the direction opposite to where his shadow is pointing.
Step 4: The answer
So the answer is (A) East. If Kavin's shadow is behind him and shadows fall to the west, Kavin must be facing East.
If North-East is called South, and every other direction is renamed in the same way, what is West called?
Solution — answer B
North-East → South is a turn of 135° clockwise. Turning West the same way gives North-East.
5 steps · reveal one at a timeStep 1: Understand the Change
The problem states that North-East is now called South. Our first task is to determine the specific rotational shift or transformation that links these two directions.
Step 2: Calculate Rotation
On a compass, North-East is 45∘ clockwise from North. South is 180∘ clockwise from North. The shift from North-East to South is 180∘−45∘=135∘ clockwise.
Step 3: Apply to West
Since every other direction is renamed in the same way, we apply this same 135∘ clockwise rotation to West. West is 270∘ clockwise from North.
Step 4: Find New Direction
Adding the rotation to West: 270∘+135∘=405∘. Since a full circle is 360∘, 405∘ is the same as 405∘−360∘=45∘. A direction 45∘ clockwise from North is North-East.
Step 5: The answer
So the answer is (B) North-East. West, when rotated 135∘ clockwise, lands on the position of North-East.
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