Two friends X and Y start running and they run together for 50 m in the same direction and reach a point. X turns right and runs 60 m, while Y turns left and runs 40 m. Then X turns left and runs 50 m and stops, while Y turns right and runs 50 m and then stops. How far are the two friends from each other now?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) 100 m
After the first turn the two run in opposite directions, so they end up 60 + 40 = 100 m apart on one line. The next turns send both of them 50 m in the same direction, which does not change the gap.
- Take the common first run as 50 m north, ending at a point O.
- X turns right (east) and runs 60 m; Y turns left (west) and runs 40 m. They are now 60 + 40 = 100 m apart on an east–west line.
- X, facing east, turns left and so runs north 50 m; Y, facing west, turns right and so also runs north 50 m.
- Both moved 50 m north, so they are still 100 m apart.
Remember · Equal moves in the same direction never change the distance between two people; only the unequal or opposite legs count.
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2022, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·