Distance & Direction Notes & Questions | Class 4 Reasoning | Drishti OS

Distance & Direction

What you'll learn

Work out the total distance from a starting point after walking in directions.
Add distances when moving in the same direction.
Subtract distances when moving in the opposite direction.

Key concepts

Same direction — add

If someone walks in one direction, then continues further in the same direction, add the two distances to get the total distance from the start.

Opposite direction — subtract

If someone walks one way, then turns back and walks in the opposite direction, subtract the smaller distance from the larger distance to find how far they are from the start.

NCERT anchor: CBSE Class 4 logical reasoning; Maths 4 addition and subtraction word problems

Worked example

Ravi walks 3 km East, then 4 km East. How far is he now from the starting point?

Step 1 — Both walks are in the same direction (East).
Step 2 — Add the distances: 3 + 4 = 7.
Answer: **7 km** East of the start

Arjun walks 8 km West, then turns back and walks 3 km East. How far is he now from the starting point?

Step 1 — The second walk is in the opposite direction (East, back towards start).
Step 2 — Subtract: 8 - 3 = 5.
Answer: **5 km** West of the start

Common mistakes

Mistake	Why it happens	Fix
Adding when should subtract	Not noticing the direction reversed	Check: same direction = add, opposite direction = subtract
Subtracting the wrong way	Doing smaller - larger	Always subtract the smaller distance from the larger
Forgetting the starting point	Losing track of "from where"	Remember all distances are measured from the start
Mixing up directions	Confusing which way is "back"	Opposite direction always means turning around

Quick check

Meena walks 5 km North, then 2 km North. How far is she from the start?
Priya walks 10 km South, then turns back and walks 4 km North. How far is she from the start?
Karan walks 6 km East, then turns back and walks 6 km West. How far is he from the start?
Stretch: Neha walks 15 km North, then turns back and walks 6 km South. How far is she from the start, and in which direction?

Revision tip: Draw a simple number line or path on paper to picture the walk before adding or subtracting.

Open the Practice tab for graded questions on Distance & Direction.

Distance & Direction