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Question

In a morning after sunrise, a boy rode his bicycle 4 km towards west. Then the took right turn and rode 6 km then he right turn and rode 6 km to reach is school. In which direction the school is from then starting point?

This question was previously asked in
SSC Stenographer 2018 Previous Year Paper (08-Feb-2019) (Shift 2)
The correct answer is

North - East

Understanding the Bicycle Journey and Direction

The question asks for the final direction of the school relative to the starting point, given a series of movements made by a boy on his bicycle after sunrise.

Step-by-Step Movement Analysis

Let's break down the boy's journey starting from an initial point. We can represent the starting point as the origin \( (0,0) \) on a coordinate plane, where the positive x-axis is East, the negative x-axis is West, the positive y-axis is North, and the negative y-axis is South.

  • Step 1: The boy starts at \( (0,0) \) and rides 4 km towards the west. Moving 4 km west means decreasing the x-coordinate by 4. The new position is \( (0 - 4, 0) = (-4, 0) \). After this movement, the boy is facing West.
  • Step 2: He then takes a right turn. If someone is facing West, a right turn means turning towards North. He rides 6 km in this new direction (North). Moving 6 km north means increasing the y-coordinate by 6, while the x-coordinate remains -4. The new position is \( (-4, 0 + 6) = (-4, 6) \). After this movement, the boy is facing North.
  • Step 3: He then takes another right turn. If someone is facing North, a right turn means turning towards East. He rides 6 km in this new direction (East). Moving 6 km east means increasing the x-coordinate by 6, while the y-coordinate remains 6. The final position (where the school is) is \( (-4 + 6, 6) = (2, 6) \).

Let's summarize the movements and positions:

Step Direction Distance Change in Position Current Position Facing Direction
Start - - - \( (0,0) \) Implicit
1 West 4 km \( \Delta x = -4, \Delta y = 0 \) \( (-4, 0) \) West
2 North (Right from West) 6 km \( \Delta x = 0, \Delta y = +6 \) \( (-4, 6) \) North
3 East (Right from North) 6 km \( \Delta x = +6, \Delta y = 0 \) \( (2, 6) \) East

Determining the Final Direction from Starting Point

The starting point was \( (0,0) \) and the school is located at \( (2, 6) \). To find the direction of the school from the starting point, we look at the coordinates of the final position relative to the origin:

  • The x-coordinate is \( +2 \). Since the positive x-axis represents East, this means the school is 2 km to the East of the starting point.
  • The y-coordinate is \( +6 \). Since the positive y-axis represents North, this means the school is 6 km to the North of the starting point.

A point that is both to the East and North of the starting point lies in the North-East direction from the origin.

Therefore, the school is in the North-East direction from the starting point.

Revision Table: Key Concepts in Direction Problems

Concept Explanation How it applies here
Cardinal Directions North, South, East, West are the four main directions. Used to define movement vectors.
Relative Directions Right/Left turns change the facing direction relative to the current one. A right turn from West is North; a right turn from North is East.
Displacement Vector The straight-line distance and direction from start to end. Calculated as \( (\Delta x, \Delta y) \). Final position \( (2,6) \) relative to \( (0,0) \) gives displacement East and North.
Coordinate System Using \( (x,y) \) to track position relative to an origin. Used effectively to track the boy's position after each step.

Additional Information: Visualizing the Journey

Imagine drawing this journey on a map or graph paper:

  • Start at the center.
  • Draw a line 4 units left (West).
  • From there, draw a line 6 units up (North).
  • From there, draw a line 6 units right (East).

The final point you reach will be to the right and up from your starting point, which corresponds to the North-East direction. Even though the distances travelled were 4 km, then 6 km, then 6 km, the straight-line displacement from the start \( (0,0) \) to the school \( (2,6) \) determines the direction.

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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?

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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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