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Use coordinates with O = (0, 0), East as positive x and North as positive y. Horizontal calculation: the person moves 4 m East and 4 m West, so net x = 4 - 4 = 0 m. Vertical calculation: the person moves 9 m North and 4 m South, so net y = 9 - 4 = 5 m. The signs of (0, 5) place the final point in the North direction. The shortest distance is straight-line displacement: √((0)² + (5)²) = √(0 + 25) = √25 = 5 m. Therefore option C, North, 5 m, is correct. The opposite-direction option is wrong because it reverses the verified coordinate signs. The option giving 7 m is wrong because it does not use the Pythagorean shortest distance. The North-East option is wrong because both non-zero coordinate components, or the exact zero component, determine North, not a neighbouring compass direction.
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Common questions and clear answers for this topic.
Direction Test questions describe movements or turns and ask for the final direction, relative position or shortest distance from a starting point. They test compass knowledge, spatial tracking and displacement calculation.
Find net East-West movement as x and net North-South movement as y. The shortest distance from the start is √(x² + y²), while the signs of x and y determine the final compass direction.
Use coordinates: East +x, West -x, North +y and South -y. Add movements axis-wise, identify direction from the final signs and use the Pythagorean formula when both coordinates are non-zero.
