A man walks 10 km towards the North. From there, he walks 6 km towards the South. Then he walks 3 km towards the East. How far and in which direction is he with reference to his starting point?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → 5 km North-East
Keep a running total of the distance north (or south) and east (or west) of the start; when both are left over, the straight distance is the hypotenuse of a right triangle.
10 km North: 10 km north of the start
6 km South: \(10-6=4\) km north
3 km East: 4 km north, 3 km east
Distance \(=\sqrt{4^{2}+3^{2}}=\sqrt{25}=5\) km
He is north and east of the start, so the direction is North-East
He is 5 km North-East of his starting point.
