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Question

Kedar starts form his house and travel s 25 km towards the south by bicycle and reaches the bus stand. Then he takes a left turn and travels 15 km., take takes a left turn again and travels 25 km more. How far is he form his original position?

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

15 km

Understanding Kedar's Journey and Distance Calculation

The problem asks us to find the final distance of Kedar from his starting point after a series of movements in different directions. This is a typical directional distance problem where we need to track the displacement from the origin.

Step-by-Step Analysis of Kedar's Movement

  1. Kedar starts from his house and travels 25 km towards the south. Let's assume his starting point is the origin (0,0) on a coordinate plane. Traveling south takes him to the point (0, -25).
  2. He then takes a left turn. If he is facing south, a left turn means turning towards the east. He travels 15 km towards the east. From (0, -25), traveling 15 km east takes him to the point (0 + 15, -25) = (15, -25).
  3. He takes a left turn again. If he is facing east, a left turn means turning towards the north. He travels 25 km towards the north. From (15, -25), traveling 25 km north takes him to the point (15, -25 + 25) = (15, 0).

His final position is (15, 0) assuming his starting point (house) was (0, 0).

Calculating Distance from Original Position

The original position was the starting point (0, 0). The final position is (15, 0).

To find the distance between the starting point and the final position, we can use the distance formula between two points \( (x_1, y_1) \) and \( (x_2, y_2) \), which is \( \sqrt{(x_2 - x_1)^2 + (y_2 - y_1)^2} \).

Here, \( (x_1, y_1) = (0, 0) \) and \( (x_2, y_2) = (15, 0) \).

Distance = \( \sqrt{(15 - 0)^2 + (0 - 0)^2} \)

Distance = \( \sqrt{(15)^2 + (0)^2} \)

Distance = \( \sqrt{225 + 0} \)

Distance = \( \sqrt{225} \)

Distance = 15 km.

Alternatively, we can visualize the movements:

  • He went 25 km south and then 25 km north. These two movements cancel each other out in the north-south direction. His net displacement in the north-south direction is 0.
  • He only had a movement of 15 km towards the east.

So, his final position is directly east of his starting point, at a distance equal to his eastward travel.

The distance from his original position is 15 km.

This matches one of the given options.

Step Direction Distance (km) Change in Position (relative to start) Current Position (relative to start)
Start - - - (0, 0)
1 South 25 (0, -25) (0, -25)
2 Left (East) 15 (15, 0) (15, -25)
3 Left (North) 25 (0, 25) (15, 0)

The final position is (15, 0). The distance from the origin (0, 0) is 15 km.

Revision Table: Key Concepts

Concept Explanation Relevance Here
Directional Sense Understanding North, South, East, West, and turns (Left/Right) from facing a specific direction. Crucial for mapping movements correctly.
Displacement vs. Distance Displacement is the straight-line distance from start to end. Distance is the total path length traveled. This problem asks for displacement. We need the final position relative to the start, not the total km traveled.
Coordinate Geometry Representing positions and movements on a 2D plane using coordinates (x, y). Helps visualize and calculate the final position easily.
Distance Formula Calculating the straight-line distance between two points in a coordinate system. Used to find the final distance from the origin.

Additional Information: Directional Problems

Directional sense problems often involve a series of movements in different directions. To solve them effectively, you can:

  • Draw a diagram: Sketching the path helps visualize the movements and the final position relative to the start.
  • Use coordinate geometry: Assigning the starting point as (0,0) and tracking the changes in x and y coordinates for each movement makes calculating the final position straightforward. Moving East increases the x coordinate, West decreases x, North increases y, and South decreases y.
  • Understand turns: A left turn from North is West, from East is North, from South is East, and from West is South. Similarly for right turns.
  • Differentiate between total distance traveled and displacement: Total distance is the sum of the lengths of all segments of the journey. Displacement is the shortest distance (a straight line) from the starting point to the ending point. This problem specifically asks "How far is he form his original position?", which implies displacement.

These methods help in accurately determining the final location and the distance from the origin for various directional travel scenarios.

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Similar Questions

  1. 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?

  2. 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?

  3. In morning after sunrise, a boy rode his bicycle 4 km towards North then he took right turn and rode 6 km then he took left turn and rode 5 km to reach his school. In which direction the starting point is with respect to location of School?

  4. Town P is to the East of town Q. Town R is to the South of town P. Town T is to the West of town R. Town P is towards which direction of town T?

  5. In a certain coded language.

    @ means East

    # means West

    means North

    ! means South

    For example,

    *@means North-East

    Mr. Rajan started from his house and moves towards East. After walking for a distance of 20 m, he took aright turn, and walks for 20 m. Then he took a left turn and walk for 15 m. After that he took a right turn and walked 15 m more towards his office. In which direction Mr. Rajan facing now?
  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?

  7. A policeman stepped out of the police station and walked 60 m towards west. He then took a left turn walked 38 m to reach a fruit shop. He then took a right turn and walked 60 m. He then took a right turn and walked 38 m to reach a restaurant. What is the approximate shortest distance between the police station and the restaurant via the fruit shop?

  8. Malini went from her office to the bank. She started her journey facing West. First, she went 2 km straight; then she turned to her right and went 3 km; finally, she turned left and walked 2 km to reach the bank.

    What is the shortest distance between Malini’s office and the bank?
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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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