The worked question on this page is original educational practice. It is not represented as a question from an official previous-year examination paper.
01 / UNDERSTANDING
Review the question
Prepare original paths that finish near the start after long travel. Ask both total distance and shortest distance to demonstrate why the same route supports different numerical answers.
02 / UNDERSTANDING
The concept in context
Total distance adds all travelled segments. Shortest displacement connects the starting point directly to the final point and can be smaller because opposite movements cancel. Use the Pythagorean relation only after finding the net perpendicular components, not on arbitrary travelled segments that do not describe the final right triangle.
03 / UNDERSTANDING
A worked learning case
Original educational case. A learner walks three kilometres north and four kilometres east in an original route. Total travel is seven kilometres, while the shortest distance from the start is five kilometres by the 3–4–5 triangle. If the learner then walks three kilometres south, the final point is four kilometres east of the start despite ten kilometres of travel.
ORIGINAL EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE
Try it before you check.
Original practice: Walk 5 m east, 3 m north and 5 m west. What is the shortest distance and direction from the start?
Show the answer and reasoning
3 m north.
The east and west movements cancel because they have equal length in opposite directions. The only net movement is three metres north, so the final displacement is 3 m north. The total path length is 13 m, but the question asks the direct relation between the starting and finishing positions.
Two traps to watch for.
- Answering with total path length instead of displacement.
- Changing north on the page after the traveller turns.
YOUR TOPIC-SPECIFIC LEARNING MAP
Learn from the attempt
Fix compass axes before tracing.
Track facing and position separately.
Cancel opposite net movements before measuring displacement.
Explain the idea, apply it to a new situation, then check what changed in your reasoning.
BANKERS TUTORIAL · SOURCE NOTES
Keep the source alongside your notes.
Official links provide subject context and authoritative reference material. This guide’s explanation, scenario and question are original Bankers Tutorial learning content.
- sbi.bank.in https://sbi.bank.in/web/careers/current-openings
- sbi.bank.in https://sbi.bank.in/webfiles/uploads/files_2627/09/SBI_JA-Customer_Support_Sales-IH_Pre-2026-27_Eng.pdf
For SBI preparation, check the current official notice before relying on changing dates, rules or examination requirements.
