One morning after sunrise, Nivedita and Niharika were talking to each other…
2024
One morning after sunrise, Nivedita and Niharika were talking to each other face to face at Dolphin Crossing. If Niharika's shadow was exactly to the right of Nivedita, which direction was Niharika facing?
- A.
North
- B.
South
- C.
East
- D.
Data is inadequate
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Direction-sense rule: a shadow always falls directly opposite the sun. In the morning the sun is in the East, so every shadow falls due West. Also, two people standing face to face look in exactly opposite directions, and a fixed compass direction lies to a person's right only for one specific facing: facing North → right is East; facing East → right is South; facing South → right is West; facing West → right is North.
It is morning, so the sun is in the East and every shadow falls toward the West.
So Niharika's shadow lies to the West of her.
This shadow is exactly to Nivedita's right, so West must lie on Nivedita's right side.
By the rule above, right = West only when a person faces South, so Nivedita is facing South.
Nivedita and Niharika stand face to face, so Niharika faces the opposite direction — North.
Cross-check: reapply the rule to Niharika. Facing North, her right points East and her left points West; her shadow (which always falls West, regardless of which way she faces) therefore lies to her own left — exactly matching the geometry of it appearing to Nivedita's right, since the two stand face to face. This confirms North.