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Question

Facing North, X turns 205° clockwise and then 160° anticlockwise. In which direction X is facing now?

This question was previously asked in
RRB ALP 2018 CBT 2 Fitter Question Paper (21-Jan-2019) (Shift 3)
The correct answer is

North-East

Understanding Directional Turns: Clockwise and Anticlockwise

This question involves understanding how turns in clockwise and anticlockwise directions affect your facing direction. We start facing a specific direction (North) and then apply a sequence of turns.

Initial State and Turns

  • Initial Direction: Facing North.
  • First Turn: 205° clockwise.
  • Second Turn: 160° anticlockwise.

Calculating the Final Direction

We can solve this by considering the angles of the directions. North is typically considered 0° or 360°.

  • Clockwise turns increase the angle from North (measured clockwise).
  • Anticlockwise turns decrease the angle from North (measured clockwise), or increase the angle if measured anticlockwise. An anticlockwise turn from a position can be thought of as subtracting the angle from the current clockwise angle.

Step 1: First Turn (205° Clockwise from North)

Starting from North (0°), a 205° clockwise turn means the new direction is at an angle of 205° clockwise from North.

Current angle: $0° + 205° = 205°$.

Step 2: Second Turn (160° Anticlockwise)

From the current position (205° clockwise from North), X turns 160° anticlockwise. An anticlockwise turn subtracts from the clockwise angle.

New angle: $205° - 160° = 45°$.

Step 3: Determining the Final Direction

The final direction is at an angle of 45° clockwise from North.

Let's look at the standard angles for the main directions:

Direction Angle (Clockwise from North)
North 0° / 360°
East 90°
South 180°
West 270°
North-East 45°
South-East 135°
South-West 225°
North-West 315°

An angle of 45° clockwise from North corresponds to the North-East direction.

Summary of Turns

  • Start: North (0°)
  • Turn 1: +205° (Clockwise) → 205°
  • Turn 2: -160° (Anticlockwise) → $205° - 160° = 45°$
  • Final Angle: 45° clockwise from North.
  • Final Direction: North-East.

Therefore, after turning 205° clockwise and then 160° anticlockwise from North, X is facing North-East.

Revision Table: Direction and Angles

Initial Direction Clockwise Turn Anticlockwise Turn Net Change Final Angle (from North) Final Direction
North (0°) +205° -160° $205° - 160° = 45°$ (Clockwise) 45° North-East

Additional Information: Understanding Degrees in Directions

Thinking about directions in terms of degrees can make these types of problems easier. A full circle is 360°. The four main directions (North, East, South, West) are 90° apart.

  • North is 0° (or 360°).
  • East is 90° clockwise from North.
  • South is 180° clockwise from North.
  • West is 270° clockwise from North.

The intermediate directions (North-East, South-East, South-West, North-West) are exactly halfway between the main directions, meaning they are 45° from the nearest main direction.

  • North-East is 45° clockwise from North.
  • South-East is 45° clockwise from East (or 135° from North).
  • South-West is 45° clockwise from South (or 225° from North).
  • North-West is 45° clockwise from West (or 315° from North).

By converting turns into additions (clockwise) and subtractions (anticlockwise) of angles, you can easily find the final direction.

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Similar Questions

  1. A seller starts on her daily routine. She walks 7 km north, then turns west and walks 6 km, then turns south and walks 2 km, then turns west and walks 3 km, then turns to her left and walks 5 km. Where is she now with reference to her starting position?

  2. A man starts from point ‘O’, travels 20 km towards East to reach point ‘A’, turns right and travels 10 km to reach point ‘B’, turns right and travels 9 km to reach point ‘C’, turns right and travels 5 km to reach point ‘D’. Turns left and travels 12 km to reach point ‘E’ and then turns right and travels 6 km to reach point ‘F’.
    What is the shortest distance between his initial and final points?

  3. Sharad starts from Point Y and drives 9 km towards the South. He then takes a left turn, drives 19 km, turns right and drives 23 km. He then takes a right turn and drives 8 km. He takes a right turn and drives 17 km. He then turns left, drives 11 km, turns left and drives 6 km to stop at Point Z. How far (shortest distance) and towards which direction should he drive in order to reach Point Y again? (All turns are 90 degrees turns only unless specified)

  4. Sally starts from Point A and drives 12 km towards North. She takes a right turn, drives 5 km, and takes another right turn and drives 24 km. She turns right again and drives 17 km, she takes a final right turn, drives 12 km and stops at Point P. How far (shortest distance) and in which direction is she from her starting point? (All turns are 90 degrees turns only unless specified.)

  5. Rohit starts from Point A and drives 25 km towards the East. He then takes a right turn, drives 17 km, turns right and drives 14 km. He then takes a right turn and drives 11 km. He takes a final left turn, drives 11 km and stops at Point P. How far (shortest distance) and towards which direction should he drive to reach Point A again? (All turns are 90 degrees turns only unless specified.)

  6. Town L lies to the west of Town M. Town D lies to the northeast of Town L. Town A lies to the west of Town D. Town R lies to the east of Town D. What is the position of Town R with respect to Town L?

  7. Town A lies to the southwest of Town R. Town D lies to the east of Town A. Town T lies to the southeast of Town D. Town R lies to the north of Town T. Town M lies to the southeast of Town T. What is the position of Town M with respect to Town D?

  8. Q starts from Point A and drives 14 km towards the South. He then takes a left turn, drives 10 km, turns left and drives 9 km. He then takes a left turn and drives 7 km. He takes a final right turn, drives 5 km and stops at Point P. How far (shortest distance) and towards which direction should he drive to reach Point A again? (All turns are 90 degrees turns only unless specified.)

  9. Vineet starts from Point Y and drives 10 km towards the North. He then takes a right turn, drives 29 km, turns right and drives 34 km. He then takes a right turn and drives 13 km. He takes a final right turn, drives 24 km and stops at Point Z. How far (shortest distance) and towards which direction should he drive in order to reach Point Y again? (All turns are 90 degrees turns only unless specified)

  10. Anita starts from her house at Point A and walks 5 m towards the South. She takes a right turn, walks 7 m, takes another right and walks 12 m and stops at point P. If a pole is placed 7 m towards East from where she stopped (Point P), how far (shortest distance) and in which direction will her house be from the pole? (All turns are 90 degrees turns only unless specified.)


Important Questions from Direction and Distance

  1. What is the direction of U with respect to P?

  2. What is the shortest distance between R and T?

  3. If a person walks 3m towards the North from point V, takes a right turn and walks for another 15m, which of the following points would he reach?

  4. In which direction is Amit facing at point F?

  5. What is the distance between the starting point and the end point?

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