Pooja started from point A and walked 15 feet in the north -east direction to reach point B. She then took a 270° anti-clockwise turn and walked 5 feet to reach point C. After that, she took a 90° clockwise turn and walked 18 feet to reach point D. She continued walking in the same direction after reaching point D. In which direction is she finally walking towards?

Question

Prepp Team · Accepted Answer

Understanding the Direction Problem

This question involves tracking Pooja's movement and changes in direction based on specific turns. We need to determine her final walking direction after a series of steps and turns.

Analyzing Pooja's Movement Step-by-Step

Let's break down Pooja's journey and how her direction changes at each point:

Starting from Point A: Pooja starts at point A and walks 15 feet in the north-east direction to reach point B. Her initial direction is North-East.
At Point B (First Turn): At point B, she takes a 270° anti-clockwise turn.
- The current direction is North-East.
- An anti-clockwise turn of 270° is equivalent to a clockwise turn of 360° - 270° = 90°.
- From North-East, a 90° clockwise turn leads to the South-East direction.
- So, the direction from B to C is South-East. She walks 5 feet in this direction.
At Point C (Second Turn): At point C, she takes a 90° clockwise turn.
- The current direction is South-East (from B to C).
- From South-East, a 90° clockwise turn leads to the South-West direction.
- So, the direction from C to D is South-West. She walks 18 feet in this direction.
After Point D: She continues walking in the same direction after reaching point D. The direction she was walking in from C to D is South-West.

Determining the Final Direction

Since Pooja continues walking in the same direction after reaching point D, her final walking direction is the direction she moved from C to D. As determined in the previous step, this direction is South-West.

Summary of Direction Changes

Segment	Starting Direction	Turn	Turn Type	Ending Direction
A to B	Start	N/A	N/A	North-East
B to C	North-East	270°	Anti-clockwise	South-East
C to D	South-East	90°	Clockwise	South-West
After D	South-West	None	None	South-West

Therefore, Pooja is finally walking towards the South-West direction.

Revision Table: Key Concepts

Concept	Explanation
Cardinal Directions	North, East, South, West.
Intercardinal Directions	North-East, South-East, South-West, North-West. These are halfway between cardinal directions.
Clockwise Turn	Turning in the same direction as clock hands (e.g., North > East > South > West).
Anti-clockwise Turn	Turning in the opposite direction of clock hands (e.g., North > West > South > East).
Degrees in a Full Circle	A full circle is 360°. A 90° turn moves one full cardinal or intercardinal direction.

Additional Information: Directional Reasoning

Direction and distance problems are common in reasoning sections of competitive exams. They test your ability to visualize movement and turns in a plane. Understanding the relationship between degrees and directional changes is crucial. For example:

A 90° turn changes direction by one major step (e.g., North to East, or North-East to South-East).
A 180° turn reverses the direction (e.g., North to South, North-East to South-West).
A 270° anti-clockwise turn is the same as a 90° clockwise turn.
A 270° clockwise turn is the same as a 90° anti-clockwise turn.

Always visualize the compass and track the turns relative to the current direction. Pay close attention to whether the turn is clockwise or anti-clockwise and the number of degrees.