Tarun walks 14 km towards the North. He then walks 6 km towards the South, and then 6 km towards the East. How far is he from his starting point and in which direction?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → 10 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.
14 km North: 14 km north of the start
6 km South: \(14-6=8\) km north
6 km East: 8 km north, 6 km east
Distance \(=\sqrt{8^{2}+6^{2}}=\sqrt{64+36}=\sqrt{100}=10\) km
He is north and east of the start, so the direction is North-East
Tarun is 10 km North-East of his starting point.
