Turns
Left/right turns from a starting direction; U-turns and opposites.
Turns
Turns and Directions
What you'll learn
- Left/right turns from a starting facing direction.
- U-turn = about-face → opposite direction.
- Track facing after each turn step by step.
- Common in grid walk olympiad questions.
Key concepts
Level 1 — Core idea
Verbal: Face North, turn right → face East.
Symbolic: Right turn +90° clockwise on compass.
Visual: Stick figure + curved arrow L or R from current facing.
Level 2 — Going deeper
Two right turns = half turn (180°). Left turn = counter-clockwise one step on N-E-S-W.
NCERT anchor
NCERT Looking Around 3 movement activities. Practice turns in playground facing a fixed landmark.
Worked example
Face East, turn left, then left again — facing?
Step 1 — East → left → **North**
Step 2 — North → left → **West**
Answer: **West** ✓
Face South, U-turn — facing?
Step 1 — U-turn = **180°**
Step 2 — South → opposite **North**
Answer: **North** ✓
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Why | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Right/left from bird view | Own left-right ok | Turn from person's view |
| Skip intermediate facing | Jump to answer | One turn per line |
| Right from West → North error | Compass step wrong | West → right → North |
| U-turn as 90° | Degree mix | U-turn = 180° |
Quick check
- North, turn right — facing?
- Two left turns from East?
- U-turn from West?
- Stretch: Four right turns — final direction?
Revision tip: After each turn, write facing letter before reading next instruction.
Open the Practice tab for graded questions on Turns and Directions.
Key Takeaways (TL;DR)
- What you'll learn
- Key concepts
- Worked example
- Common mistakes
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