Lesson 1 of 5 | Reasoning and Mental Ability / Turns and ranks
The direction after a turn
Learning outcome
You can name the direction a person faces after right and left turns, and the direction of a shadow.
Concepts and why
A right turn is one step clockwise: north to east, east to south, south to west, west to north. A left turn is one step the other way: north to west, west to south, south to east, east to north. Left and right belong to the person who is facing. The morning sun is in the east, so the shadow falls west. The evening sun is in the west, so the shadow falls east.
Worked examples
A person facing north turns right, then right, then left. North to the right is east. East to the right is south. South to the left is east. The person faces east. At sunrise a pole casts a shadow to the west, because the sun is in the east.
Common mistakes
Taking a right turn from north as west. From north, right is east. Using the reader left when the question gives the person left. Saying a morning shadow falls east. The shadow falls away from the sun.
Practice questions
- A person facing south turns left. Which direction is in front?
- A person facing east turns right, then right. Which direction is in front?
- In the evening, which way does the shadow fall?
Answers and explanations
- East. From south, left is east.
- West. East to the right is south, and south to the right is west.
- East. The evening sun is in the west, so the shadow falls east.
Analogy
Stand the person on a clock. North is 12, east is 3, south is 6 and west is 9. A right turn moves one number forward. A left turn moves one number back.
Quick reference
Right turn: north, east, south, west. Left turn: north, west, south, east. Morning shadow: west. Evening shadow: east.