Twelve people are sitting in two different rows facing each other. Row 1 has…
2025
Twelve people are sitting in two different rows facing each other. Row 1 has U, V, W, X, Y, and Z, and Row 2 has M, N, O, P, Q, and R. People in Row 1 are facing North and people in Row 2 are facing South. They are seated in the following order:
O does not sit parallel to W.
U sits second from the right end.
U sits opposite to N but does not sit adjacent to V.
Z sits second to the left of V.
R does not face Z and does not sit at the end.
Q sits third to the left of N.
Y sits at the end but not parallel to O.
M sits opposite to the one sitting between V and U.
O sits fifth from the right end.
X sits between Z and V.
Who is sitting between V and U?
- A.
W
- B.
X
- C.
Y
- D.
Z
Attempted by 2 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Concept: In a linear/double-row seating puzzle, first anchor any seat that is fixed relative to a row's end (e.g. "second from the right end"), then resolve the relative clues ("X between Z and V", "Z second to the left of V", "not adjacent to") together, testing every remaining seat until exactly one placement satisfies all constraints.
Row 1 has six seats. "U sits second from the right end" places U at seat 5, since only one seat (seat 6) lies to its right.
"Y sits at the end" restricts Y to seat 1 or seat 6.
"Z sits second to the left of V" together with "X sits between Z and V" forces Z, X, and V into three consecutive seats in that order — Z, then X, then V — because the seat directly between Z and V must be X.
Testing every remaining seat for V (seats 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6, since seat 5 is U): seat 1 and seat 2 are impossible, because Z (two seats to V's left) would then need a non-existent seat 0 or -1. If V sits at seat 4, Z falls at seat 2 and X at seat 3, but then V (seat 4) becomes adjacent to U (seat 5), which breaks "U does not sit adjacent to V" — this placement is eliminated. If V sits at seat 6, Z would fall at seat 4 and X at seat 5, clashing with U — also eliminated. Only V at seat 3 survives, giving Z at seat 1 and X at seat 2.
With seats 1, 2, 3, and 5 taken by Z, X, V, and U, only seats 4 and 6 remain for W and Y. Since Y must sit at an end and seat 1 is already occupied, Y takes seat 6, leaving W at seat 4.
The final order is Z, X, V, W, U, Y across seats 1 to 6 — so W sits immediately between V (seat 3) and U (seat 5).
Cross-check: this arrangement satisfies every Row 1 clue used above — U (seat 5) is second from the right end (seat 6 = Y); Z (seat 1) sits two seats left of V (seat 3) with X (seat 2) between them; U and V are two seats apart, not adjacent; and Y sits at the row's end. Every other seat for V was tested and eliminated, so the placement of W at seat 4 is forced.
X sits at seat 2, the seat between Z and V, not the seat between V and U.
Y sits at seat 6, the row's end seat after U, not between V and U.
Z sits at seat 1, two seats to the left of V, nowhere near U.
Result: the seat between V and U is occupied by W.