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Question

A man walks 4 km north, then turns right and walks 3 km. Then turns right again and walks 4 km.
What is the shortest distance from his starting point?

This question was previously asked in
SSC Stenographer 2025 Question Paper (06-Aug-2025) Shift 2
The correct answer is
3 km

Understanding the Walking Path

This problem involves finding the shortest distance between the starting point and the final point after a series of movements. This is also known as calculating the displacement. Let's break down the man's journey step by step:

  • The man starts at a certain point.
  • He walks 4 km North.
  • He turns right (which means he now faces East) and walks 3 km.
  • He turns right again (which means he now faces South) and walks 4 km.

Calculating the Net Displacement

We can visualize this path on a coordinate plane. Assume the starting point is the origin (0,0).

  • Step 1: 4 km North
    • The man moves from (0,0) to (0, 4). His position is now 4 km North of the start.
  • Step 2: Turns right (East) and walks 3 km
    • From (0, 4), he moves 3 km East. His new position is (0+3, 4) which is (3, 4).
  • Step 3: Turns right again (South) and walks 4 km
    • From (3, 4), he moves 4 km South. His final position is (3, 4-4) which is (3, 0).

Determining the Shortest Distance

The starting point was (0,0) and the final point is (3,0).

The shortest distance is the straight-line distance between these two points. We can use the distance formula, which is derived from the Pythagorean theorem:

Distance \(= \sqrt{(x_2 - x_1)^2 + (y_2 - y_1)^2}\)

Here, \((x_1, y_1) = (0,0)\) and \((x_2, y_2) = (3,0)\).

Plugging in the values:

Distance \(= \sqrt{(3 - 0)^2 + (0 - 0)^2}\)

Distance \(= \sqrt{(3)^2 + (0)^2}\)

Distance \(= \sqrt{9 + 0}\)

Distance \(= \sqrt{9}\)

Distance \(= 3\) km

Final Answer

The shortest distance from his starting point is 3 km. This means the man ends up 3 km East of where he started.

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Similar Questions

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  2. One morning, Riti walks towards the east and sees her friend Sanju coming from a direction. She sees Sanju's shadow towards his right. From which direction Sanju is coming?

  3. Suyash starts walking from Point A and goes 130 m towards southeast. Pradeep starts walking from Point B and goes 130 m towards southwest. After walking these distances, they both meet at Point C. Point D is located in such a way that if points A and B are connected with a straight line, then D would be the midpoint of that line. The distance between Point C and Point D is 120 m. What is the distance between Point A and Point B ?

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  6. Vinita and Sunita are standing in a park facing each other at the time of sunrise. If the shadow of Vinita falls to the left of Sunita, which direction is Vinita facing?

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Important Questions from Direction and Distance

  1. Sita took an auto from her home in Andheri (A) to go to her college in Fatehpuri (F). Rather than continuing straight on the direct road to the college that had no turns, the auto driver took a diversion after 10 km and tumed right at Bandra (B) crossing, then at Colaba T- point (C) after 8 km turned left, again after covering 12 km turned left at Dalhousi Building (D) and soon after 8 km turned right at Elphinston point (E) and after covering 4 km reached Fatehpuri (F). Had the auto driver taken the direct route how much less distance would Sita have actually travelled between the starting point and the destination?

  2. Radha walks a distance of 9 m towards the South-East. Then she walks 15 m towards the West. From here, she walks 9 m towards the North-West. Finally she walks 6 m towards the East and stands at the point. How far is she standing from the starting point?

  3. According to the time by Nihaal's watch its half past one and the hour hand is pointing towards the north-east. Assuming that there is no change in Nihaal's position, in which direction would the minute hand point after 30 minutes?

  4. According to the time by Rohan's watch, it is half past 6 and the watch's hands are pointing to the south. In which of the given directions will the minute-hand point AFTER exactly 24 hours?

  5. According to the time by Rick's watch its quarter past eight. If the minute hand points towards the east, towards which direction would the hour hand point?

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