Eight persons A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H are sitting around a circular table but not necessarily in the same order. Three of them are facing outwards, while five are facing towards the centre.
E is third to the right of C. F is sitting third to the left of E. Three persons are sitting between F and B. G is sitting third to the right of F, who is not facing the centre. D is sitting third to the right of A, who is not facing the centre.
Who sits between F and A?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → H
Seen from above, a person facing the centre has the next seat clockwise on the left and the next seat anticlockwise on the right. For a person facing outwards the two sides swap: right is clockwise, left is anticlockwise. The seats are numbered 1 to 8 clockwise.
F and A face outwards (both “not facing the centre”), so start with F:
Put F in seat 1. G is third to F’s right; F faces outwards, so G is 3 seats clockwise: seat 4.
Three persons sit between F and B, so B is opposite F: seat 5.
F is third to the left of E. If E faced outwards, E’s left would be anticlockwise and E would be 3 seats clockwise from F, which is G’s seat. So E faces the centre, and F is 3 seats clockwise from E: E is in seat 6.
Placing C, A and D (seats 2, 3, 7 and 8 are free):
E is third to the right of C. If C faced the centre, E would be 3 seats anticlockwise of C, putting C in seat 1, F’s seat. So C faces outwards and E is 3 seats clockwise of C: C is in seat 3.
D is third to the right of A, who faces outwards, so D is 3 seats clockwise of A. Of the free seats 2, 7 and 8, only A in seat 7 and D in seat 2 fit (A in seat 2 or 8 would need seat 5 or 3, which B and C hold).
H takes the last seat, seat 8. A, C and F are the three facing outwards; the other five face the centre, as the question says.
Clockwise, the order is F, D, C, G, B, E, A, H; H sits between A and F.
