A right turn and a left turn

Learning outcome

You can name the direction a person faces after one right turn or one left turn.

Concepts and reasons

The four directions in clockwise order are north, east, south, and west. A right turn is one step clockwise. A left turn is one step the other way. From north, a right turn faces east, and a left turn faces west. From east, a right turn faces south, and a left turn faces north. From south, a right turn faces west, and a left turn faces east. From west, a right turn faces north, and a left turn faces south. Two right turns, or two left turns, reverse the direction. One right turn and one left turn cancel, so the person faces the original direction.

Worked examples

1. A person faces north and turns right. One step clockwise from north is east.
2. A person faces south and turns left. One step the other way from south is east.
3. A person faces east, turns right, then right again. The first turn faces south. The second faces west.

Common traps

A right turn is one quarter of a circle, not an about-turn. An about-turn is two right turns. Do not turn with your own chair. The only facing that matters is the facing in the question. East and west are not fixed answers. They change when the starting facing changes. Recompute from the facing the question gives.

Practice questions

1. A person faces west and turns right. Which direction is that?
2. A person faces east and turns left. Which direction is that?
3. A person faces north, turns left, then left again. Which direction is that?

Answers and explanations

1. North. One step clockwise from west is north.
2. North. One step anti-clockwise from east is north.
3. South. Left from north is west, and left from west is south. Two left turns reverse the facing.

Analogy

The four directions are four stops on a circle. A right turn is the next stop clockwise. You do not skip a stop.

Quick reference

• Clockwise: north, east, south, west, then north again.
• Right turn: one step clockwise. Left turn: one step the other way.
• Two right turns, or two left turns: the opposite direction.
• One right and one left: the original direction.