Mohit walks 30 m towards the South from a temple. He turns left and walks 20 m, and then turns left again and walks 51 m. What is the shortest distance between Mohit and the temple now?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → 29 m
A left turn moves the facing direction one step anticlockwise (South → East → North). Keep a running total of the distance from the temple; then use Pythagoras.
Facing South, 30 m: 30 m south of the temple
Turns left, now facing East, 20 m: 30 m south, 20 m east
Turns left, now facing North, 51 m: \(51-30=21\) m north, 20 m east
Shortest distance \(=\sqrt{20^{2}+21^{2}}=\sqrt{400+441}=\sqrt{841}=29\) m
The shortest distance is 29 m.
