Concept 4 of 5
Turn-Around: Two or More Turns
Today's big idea
Apply turns one at a time, since each turn starts from where the last one left you.
Two right turns are not the same as one left turn, which is the usual slip.
How it works
👀 What's going on?
One turn is easy enough. Two turns in a row is where people stop trusting themselves, and start trying to add both turns together in one jump.
💡 Here's the trick
Look at the chain above. Each turn is applied on its own, and the direction you end one turn facing is the direction you begin the next one from. A right turn steps clockwise, a left turn steps back, and a half turn of 180 degrees lands you on the opposite direction.
🪄 How to do it
- 1.Start on the direction the puzzle names, as the chain above does.
- 2.Apply the first turn only, and say the new direction out loud.
- 3.Apply the next turn from there, and keep going until the turns run out.
✍️ Try it
Face East and turn left twice. Then try: face South, turn left once, then make a half turn.
Left from East is North, and left again is West. In the second chain, left from South is East, and a half turn from East is West as well. Two different routes can finish in the same place.
⚠️ Watch out
You might be thinking two right turns are the same as one left turn. Start at North and check. Two rights take you to East and then South, while one left takes you to West. Turns only cancel out when they are opposite and equal.
🌟 Why this matters
Following a spoken route with several turns in it, and still knowing which way you face at the end, is an everyday skill. Doing one turn at a time is what keeps it reliable.
Exam tip: Write the direction after each turn rather than only the last one, so a slip shows up immediately.
Watch me solve one
Quanta solves it
“Watch how I think through one of these — then you try.”
THE PROBLEM
“Face South. Turn LEFT twice. Which direction are you facing?”
- 1
Picture the clockwise circle
N → E → S → W → back to N. Left goes the other way. 🧭
- 2
First left
From S, left is E.
- 3
Second left
From E, left is N.
- 4
Answer ✓
End facing North
Now you try one — same steps, different story 👇
See it in action
⚡ Time to play!
Facing North: apply each turn in order. Turn 0/2 done.
MULTI-TURN · ROUND 1 OF 3
Facing: North
Quick check
✅ VERIFICATION
You are facing North. Which single turn leaves you facing South?
⚡ Finish the activity above first to answer.
Keep going!
Up next: Calendar Walker
7 = same day. Walk only the leftover.