Concept 1 of 4
Direction Sense: Compass Turns
Today's big idea
Each 90° turn steps one place round the clockwise ring N, E, S, W, and 180° steps two.
Left and right are counted from the walker's facing, never from the page.
How it works
👀 What's going on?
You are cycling to a friend's house and the map says turn left at the shop. Left of what? Left is always counted from the way you are facing right now, and that one word decides your whole route.
💡 Here's the trick
Look at the compass above. Going clockwise, the four main directions run N, E, S, W and back to N. A quarter turn clockwise moves you one step along that ring. A half turn moves you two steps, and a quarter turn anticlockwise moves you one step back.
🪄 How to do it
- 1.Write your starting direction and find it on the compass above.
- 2.Step one place clockwise for a right turn, or one place back for a left turn.
- 3.For distance, cancel the legs that point opposite ways and keep what is left.
✍️ Try it
Ravi faces South and turns right, then turns right again. Which way is he facing? Then: Sana walks 6 m north, turns left and walks 5 m, then turns left again and walks 6 m. How far is she from her start, and which way?
Two right turns from South bring Ravi to North, because each right turn is one step clockwise. Sana's two left turns send her west then south, so she ends 5 m west of her start.
⚠️ Watch out
You might be thinking left always means west. It does not. Left is a quarter turn from wherever you face now, so a walker facing south turns left into the east.
🌟 Why this matters
You use this whenever you follow directions to a park or read a metro map. Telling a friend which way to walk from the bus stop needs the same trick. Knowing your own facing turns a messy route into three easy steps.
Exam tip: Redraw the route with a small arrow for each leg, because a sketch beats holding four turns in your head.
Watch me solve one
Quanta solves it
“Watch how I think through one of these — then you try.”
THE PROBLEM
“You face North. Turn 180° clockwise, then 90° anticlockwise. Which direction now?”
- 1
Recall compass order
Clockwise: N → E → S → W. 🧭
- 2
180° clockwise from N
N → E → S → opposite = South.
- 3
90° anticlockwise from S
Reverse direction: S → East.
- 4
Answer ✓
East
Now you try one — same steps, different story 👇
See it in action
⚡ Time to play!
Start facing North: tap each turn in order and watch the needle rotate around the rose.
COMPASS · ROUND 1 OF 3
Facing: North
Quick check
✅ VERIFICATION
Arun faces East. He turns 90° clockwise, then 90° clockwise again, then 90° anticlockwise. Which direction does he face now?
⚡ Finish the activity above first to answer.
Keep going!
Up next: Ranking & Position
From-left + from-right = total + 1.