A man is facing North-West. He turns 90° in the clockwise direction, then 180°…
2022
A man is facing North-West. He turns 90° in the clockwise direction, then 180° in the anticlockwise direction and then another 90° in the same direction. Which direction is he facing now?
- A.
South
- B.
South-West
- C.
West
- D.
South-East
Attempted by 3 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Concept
Direction problems are solved on the 8-point compass, read clockwise as N → NE → E → SE → S → SW → W → NW and back to N, where each adjacent point is 45° apart. A clockwise turn moves you along that order; an anticlockwise turn moves you against it (N → NW → W → SW → S …). Apply each turn to the direction you are CURRENTLY facing, one turn at a time, and “the same direction” always refers to the sense of the turn that came immediately before it.
Step-by-step
Start facing North-West.
Turn 90° clockwise: moving clockwise two 45° steps from North-West passes through North and lands on North-East. Now facing North-East.
Turn 180° anticlockwise: a half-turn always points you to the exact opposite direction, so North-East becomes South-West. Now facing South-West.
Turn 90° in the same direction: “same direction” means anticlockwise again. Moving anticlockwise two 45° steps from South-West passes through South and lands on South-East. Now facing South-East.
Cross-check
Track the net rotation in signed degrees (clockwise positive), with North-West at 315°: 315° + 90° − 180° − 90° = 135°. A bearing of 135° is South-East, confirming the result.