UPSC Prelims 2009·GS1·geography·general geography

A person travels 12 km due North, then 15 km due East, after that 15 km due West and then 18 km due South. How far is he from the starting point?

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Last updated 23 May 2026, 3:31 pm IST
  1. A6 kmCorrect
  2. B12 km
  3. C33 km
  4. D60 km

Explanation

To solve this, track the movement along the North South and East West axes separately. First, the person moves 12 km North. Later, he moves 18 km South. The net displacement on the North South axis is 18 minus 12, which equals 6 km South. Second, the person moves 15 km East and then 15 km West. These two movements cancel each other out exactly, resulting in zero net displacement on the East West axis. Since the person is 6 km South and 0 km East or West from the starting point, the total distance from the starting point is 6 km. Therefore, the correct option is A.
geography: A person travels 12 km due North, then 15 km due East, after that 15 km due West and then 18 km due South. How far is he
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