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Question

Six friends A, B, C, D, E and F are standing in a circle facing the centre. B is between F and C, A is between E and D, and F is to the immediate left of D. Who is between A and F?

This question was previously asked in
SSC CGL 2022 Tier-II (Paper 2 JSO) Previous Year Paper (04-Mar-2023)
The correct answer is

D

Understanding the Seating Arrangement Puzzle

This logical reasoning puzzle asks us to figure out the specific seating positions of six friends – A, B, C, D, E, and F – who are sitting in a circle and all facing the centre. We are given several clues about their relative positions, and our goal is to use these clues to determine the complete arrangement and then answer a specific question about who is sitting between two friends.

We need to find the person who is located between A and F in the circular arrangement.

Step-by-Step Solution for the Circle Arrangement

Let's break down the clues and build the arrangement step by step. Imagine six positions in a circle numbered 1 through 6 in a clockwise direction.

  • Clue 1: F is to the immediate left of D.

    In a circle, if everyone is facing the centre, 'immediate left' means the person is directly next to someone on their left side. Let's pick a position for D, say Position 1. Then, the position immediately to D's left (when facing the centre) is Position 6. So, F must be at Position 6.

    Arrangement so far (clockwise): D (Pos 1), ?, ?, ?, ?, F (Pos 6)

  • Clue 2: B is between F and C.

    This means B is directly next to both F and C. So, the sequence must be either F - B - C or C - B - F. We know F is at Position 6. Looking at the vacant spots, B and C must occupy Position 4 and Position 5 to be 'between' F and D (going around one way) and form the F-B-C sequence in the clockwise direction (F at Pos 6, B at Pos 5, C at Pos 4).

    Arrangement so far (clockwise): D (Pos 1), ?, ?, C (Pos 4), B (Pos 5), F (Pos 6)

  • Clue 3: A is between E and D.

    This means A is directly next to both E and D. So, the sequence must be either E - A - D or D - A - E. We know D is at Position 1. D's immediate neighbours are Position 6 (which is F) and Position 2.

    Since A is between E and D, and D's neighbour is F on one side, A must be D's neighbour on the other side, which is Position 2. So, A is at Position 2.

    Arrangement so far (clockwise): D (Pos 1), A (Pos 2), ?, C (Pos 4), B (Pos 5), F (Pos 6)

    Now, A is between E and D (Pos 1), and A is at Pos 2. This means E must be at the remaining empty position, which is Position 3, to complete the sequence D - A - E.

    Arrangement so far (clockwise): D (Pos 1), A (Pos 2), E (Pos 3), C (Pos 4), B (Pos 5), F (Pos 6)

Final Seating Arrangement Verification

Let's list the complete arrangement clockwise starting from D:

D, A, E, C, B, F

Let's verify if this arrangement matches all the given clues:

  • Clue 1: F is to the immediate left of D. In our arrangement D, A, E, C, B, F, D, the person immediately to the left of D (facing center) is F. Verified.
  • Clue 2: B is between F and C. In our arrangement, looking at the sequence F, B, C (or C, B, F), B is indeed between F and C. Verified.
  • Clue 3: A is between E and D. In our arrangement, looking at the sequence D, A, E (or E, A, D), A is indeed between E and D. Verified.

All clues are satisfied by the arrangement: D, A, E, C, B, F in a circle (clockwise).

Determining Who is Between A and F

The question asks who is between A and F. In a circular arrangement of six people, there are two paths between any two individuals. The path can go clockwise or anti-clockwise.

Looking at our arrangement (D, A, E, C, B, F, D):

  • Starting from A and going clockwise, the path to F is A → E → C → B → F. The people between A and F on this path are E, C, and B.
  • Starting from A and going anti-clockwise, the path to F is A → D → F. The person between A and F on this path is D.

In seating arrangement puzzles, "between X and Y" often refers to the person who is an immediate neighbour to both X and Y, especially when a single person option is provided. In our final arrangement, D is an immediate neighbour of A, and D is also an immediate neighbour of F. Therefore, D is sitting immediately between A and F on the shorter path.

The Answer

Based on the verified seating arrangement, the person sitting immediately between A and F is D.

Revision Table: Seating Arrangement Summary

Position (Clockwise) Friend
1 D
2 A
3 E
4 C
5 B
6 F

Additional Information on Seating Puzzles

Seating arrangement puzzles are common in logical reasoning sections of various exams. They test your ability to follow instructions and deduce relationships between objects or people based on given constraints. Key concepts include:

  • Linear Arrangement: People are arranged in a straight line or multiple rows. Directions like 'left', 'right', 'end', 'middle', 'immediate left/right' are typically relative to a fixed direction (e.g., facing North or South).
  • Circular Arrangement: People are arranged in a circle. 'Immediate left/right' depends on whether individuals are facing the centre or away from the centre. The term 'between' usually implies the person(s) on one of the paths connecting two individuals.
  • Relative Positioning: Clues often describe positions relative to others (e.g., 'X is second to the right of Y', 'X is three places away from Y').
  • Absolute Positioning: Sometimes a position is fixed irrespective of others (e.g., 'X is at one end of the row', 'X is opposite to Y').

Solving these puzzles efficiently involves drawing diagrams, using symbols to represent individuals, and systematically incorporating each clue to eliminate possibilities and build the final arrangement. Always verify the final arrangement against all original clues to ensure accuracy.

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Similar Questions

  1. Given below is a question followed by two statements I and II. Read both the statements carefully to decide which one of them is sufficient to answer the question. Six people - K, M, N, P, Q and R are sitting around a circular table facing the centre. Who sits to the immediate right of K?

    (I) K sits third to the left of M. Only one person sits between K and N. R sits to the immediate left of N.

    (II) K sits second to the right of Q. Only two people sit between K and M. P sits second to the left of R.

  2. Six friends J, K, L, M, N and O are sitting around a circular table facing the centre. N is not an immediate neighbour of M. M is sitting to the immediate left of J. J is sitting opposite to L, who is sitting to the immediate right of K. Who is sitting second to the left of L?

  3. Seven friends, Subhi, Prince, Ketan, Vishal, Mahima, Krish and Naitik, are sitting around a circular table with their backs towards the centre. Subhi is sitting to the immediate right of Prince. Naitik and Krish are not sitting to the immediate left or right of Vishal. Vishal is sitting third to the left of Prince. Mahima is sitting to the immediate right of Vishal. Who is sitting third to the right of Prince?

  4. Raghav, Manpreet, Sunaina, Prakrit, Vedika and Arwa are sitting around a circular table facing the centre. Raghav is second to the left of Prakrit. Manpreet is to the immediate left of Sunaina. Arwa is second to the right of Vedika. There are an equal number of persons between Raghav and Manpreet from both the ends. Who is sitting third to the left of Sunanina?

  5. Six friends, David, Bhanu, Minto, Krita, John and Nisan, are sitting in a circle with their backs towards the centre. David and Minto are sitting to the immediate left and right of Bhanu, respectively. John is not sitting to the immediate left of David. Nisan is sitting third to the right of Bhanu. Who is sitting second to the left of Bhanu?

  6. Seven friends E, F, G, H, I, J and K, are sitting along a circular table facing towards the centre. F and I are sitting to the immediate left and right of G, respectively. H is sitting third to the left of G. E and I are the neighbours of J. Who is sitting to the immediate right of H?

  7. Five friends, Vishnu, Chirag, Raina, Kavya and Surbhi, are sitting around a circular table, facing the center. Vishnu is to the immediate right of Kavya. Chirag is third to the left of Kavya. Surbhi is not adjacent to Chirag. Who is second to the left of Kavya?

  8. Eight friends, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V and W, are sitting in the same order anticlockwise around a circular table at equal distance between them, with all centre of the table. If Q is sitting in the south-east, then in which direction is W sitting?

  9. Eight friends, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V and W, are sitting clockwise in the same order around a circular table at equal distances between them, facing the center of the table. If S is sitting in the west, then who is sitting in the south-west direction?

  10. Six children, G, H, I, J, K, and L, are sitting around a circular table facing towards the centre. J and K are sitting to the immediate left and right of G, respectively. L is sitting to the immediate left of J, but not to the immediate right of H. Who is sitting to the immediate right of K?


Important Questions from Circular Arrangement

  1. Eight students A, B, C, D, E, F, G and Hsit around a circular table, equidistant from each other, facing the centre of the table, not necessarily in the same order. Band Dsit neither adjacent to Cnor opposite to C. Asits in between Eand D, and Fsits in between Band H. Which one of the following is definitely correct?

  2. Six persons A, B, C, D, E and Fare sitting equidistant from each other around a circular table (facing the centre of the table).

    Consider the Question and two Statements given below :

    Question : Who is sitting on the immediate left of A?

    Statement-1 : Bis sitting opposite to Cand Dis sitting  opposite to E.

    Statement-2 : Fis sitting on the immediate left of B.

    Which one of the following is correct in respect of the Question and the Statements?

  3. Seven persons P, Q, R, S, T, U and V are sitting around a circular table facing the center (not necessarily in the same order). T sits third to the right of R. V sits third to the right of Q. One person sits between P and T. P is not the neighbor of S. U sits third to the left of P. Who sits second to the left of S?

  4. Akash, Binita, Chandan, Daksh, Ekta & Fatima are standing in a circle. Binita is between Daksh & Chandan. Akash is between Ekta & Chandan. Fatima is to the right of Daksh. Who is between Akash & Fatima?

  5. Six friends A, B, C, D, E and F are sitting around a round table in such a way that A is between E and F, E is opposite to D, and C is not on either side of E. The person opposite to D is

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