Seven people D, E, F, G, H, I and J are sitting in a straight row, facing north. Only three people sit between D and H. E sits fourth to the left of J. Only D is between E and I. J sits third to the right of F. Who sits at the second position from the right end of the row?
H
Solving the Seating Arrangement Puzzle
This question requires us to determine the seating arrangement of seven people (D, E, F, G, H, I, and J) sitting in a straight row facing north. We are given several clues about their relative positions. To solve this, we need to combine the clues systematically to build the final arrangement.
Understanding the Clues
Let's list the given clues:
- There are seven people: D, E, F, G, H, I, J.
- They are in a straight row, facing north.
- Clue 1: Only three people sit between D and H.
- Clue 2: E sits fourth to the left of J.
- Clue 3: Only D is between E and I.
- Clue 4: J sits third to the right of F.
Step-by-Step Deduction to Find the Arrangement
Let's use the clues to build the arrangement. Since they are facing north, "left" is to the left in the diagram, and "right" is to the right.
- Consider Clue 3: "Only D is between E and I". This means the sequence must be either E - D - I or I - D - E. There are no other people between E and I besides D.
- Consider Clue 2: "E sits fourth to the left of J". This translates to E _ _ _ J. There are exactly three people between E and J.
- Now let's combine Clue 2 and Clue 3.
- Case A: Assume the sequence is E - D - I (from Clue 3). Combining with E _ _ _ J (Clue 2), the arrangement starts like E D I _ _ J. This sequence currently has 6 positions. Since there are 7 people in total, one person is missing and needs to be placed.
- Case B: Assume the sequence is I - D - E (from Clue 3). Combining with E _ _ _ J (Clue 2), E is fourth to the left of J. So, starting from E, moving 3 places to the right brings us to J. The arrangement is I D E _ _ _ J. This sequence has exactly 7 positions. This looks like a promising structure for the full row.
- Let's proceed with Case B: I D E _ _ _ J, as it fits the total number of people (7).
- Now use Clue 4: "J sits third to the right of F". In our current arrangement I D E _ _ _ J, J is at the rightmost position (position 7). For J to be third to the right of F, F must be at position 7 - 3 = position 4.
- Placing F at position 4, the arrangement becomes I D E F _ _ J.
- Next, use Clue 1: "Only three people sit between D and H". In our current arrangement I D E F _ _ J, D is at position 2. For three people to sit between D and H, H must be at position 2 + 3 + 1 = position 6.
- Placing H at position 6, the arrangement becomes I D E F _ H J.
- We have now placed I, D, E, F, H, and J. The arrangement is I D E F _ H J. The person remaining is G. The only empty spot is position 5.
- So, G must be at position 5. The final arrangement from left to right is I D E F G H J.
Verifying the Final Arrangement
Let's quickly check if the arrangement I D E F G H J satisfies all the given clues:
- Seven people: Yes (I, D, E, F, G, H, J).
- Straight row, facing north: Yes.
- Clue 1 (3 between D and H): D is at position 2, H is at position 6. People between them are E, F, G (3 people). This is correct.
- Clue 2 (E fourth to the left of J): J is at position 7, E is at position 3. E is 4 positions to the left of J (7 - 4 = 3). This is correct.
- Clue 3 (Only D between E and I): I is at position 1, D is at position 2, E is at position 3. D is between I and E. This is correct. (Note: The clue says "Only D is between E and I", which means the sequence is either E-D-I or I-D-E with no one else in between. Our arrangement I-D-E fits this perfectly).
- Clue 4 (J third to the right of F): F is at position 4, J is at position 7. J is 3 positions to the right of F (4 + 3 = 7). This is correct.
All clues are satisfied by the arrangement I D E F G H J.
Determining the Person at the Second Position from the Right End
The arrangement from left to right is:
| Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Person | I | D | E | F | G | H | J |
Now let's look at the positions from the right end:
- 1st from right: J
- 2nd from right: H
- 3rd from right: G
- 4th from right: F
- 5th from right: E
- 6th from right: D
- 7th from right: I
The person sitting at the second position from the right end of the row is H.
Revision Table: Seating Puzzle Details
| Clue | Interpretation | Applied in Solution Step |
|---|---|---|
| 3 people between D and H | D _ _ _ H or H _ _ _ D | Step 5 |
| E fourth to the left of J | E _ _ _ J | Step 2, 3 |
| Only D between E and I | E D I or I D E | Step 1, 3 |
| J third to the right of F | F _ _ J | Step 4 |
Additional Information: Tips for Seating Arrangement Puzzles
Seating arrangement puzzles are common in logical reasoning sections. Here are some tips:
- Start with definite information or clues that link multiple people.
- Represent the arrangement visually (drawing a line for a row or a circle for a circular arrangement).
- For linear arrangements facing one direction, consistently mark left and right.
- Break down complex clues into simpler positional relationships.
- Consider all possible cases arising from a clue and test each one against the other clues.
- Eliminate cases that contradict any clue.
- Once a potential arrangement is found, verify it against all the original clues.
- Pay close attention to keywords like "only", "exactly", "between", "immediate left/right", and directional terms (left, right, north, south, etc.).
Important Questions from Linear Arrangement
M, N, L, O, Q and H are sitting in a row. Q and H are in the centre. M and N are at the ends. L is sitting to the immediate left of N. Who is to the right of M?
Five friends, Shruti, Shreya, Anup, Ankit and Kiran, are sitting in a row facing towards the south. Shruti is between Shreya and Anup. Kiran and Shreya are sitting at the extreme ends of the west and east, respectively. Who is sitting in the middle?
Five students are standing in a line. Suman is standing next to Pranav but not next to Deena. Kumar is standing next to Raju, who is standing on the extreme left, and Deena is not standing next to Kumar.
Who is standing in the middle?Eight friends, A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H, are sitting in a straight line, all facing the north. F is sitting between D and G. B is sitting between H and A. E is third to the left of G. G is sitting at one of the corners. H is third to the left of C. Who is sitting between A and E?
Five students are sitting in a row. Akbar is to the left of the person sitting in the middle, but to the right of Sekar. Prakash is to the right of Deva, and Ram is to the right of Prakash. Ram is second from the person sitting in the middle. Who is the person sitting in the middle?
