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Sun Direction

Sun Direction problems ask for the position of the sun in the sky at a given time of day. The sun rises in the East, reaches its highest point in the South (in the Northern Hemisphere) at noon, and sets in the West. These problems test knowledge of daily sun movement patterns.

10Worksheets
200+Practice Questions
BeginnerDifficulty
1-2 hoursHours to Master

What You'll Learn

Introduction & Overview Why This Matters How to Solve Pro Tips & Tricks
Shortcut Methods Common Mistakes Practice Worksheets Exam Importance

Introduction to Sun Direction

Sun Direction problems ask for the position of the sun in the sky at a given time of day. The sun rises in the East, reaches its highest point in the South (in the Northern Hemisphere) at noon, and sets in the West. These problems test knowledge of daily sun movement patterns.

Prerequisites

Sun rises in East, sets in West Sun is in South at noon (Northern Hemisphere) Understanding of morning, noon, afternoon, evening Basic direction sense
Why This Matters: Sun Direction problems appear in 1-2 questions in SSC CGL and Banking PO exams. They test basic astronomical knowledge and time-direction relationships.

How to Solve Sun Direction Problems

1

Step 1: Identify the given time of day

2

Step 2: Recall sun position at key times: 6 AM = East, 12 PM = South, 6 PM = West

3

Step 3: For times between, interpolate: morning (6-12) sun moves from East to South

4

Step 4: Afternoon (12-6) sun moves from South to West

5

Step 5: Early morning (before 6 AM) sun is in East-southeast

6

Step 6: Late evening (after 6 PM) sun is in West-northwest

7

Step 7: Express answer as cardinal or intercardinal direction

Pro Strategy: Memorize the sun's path: East (6 AM) → Southeast (9 AM) → South (12 PM) → Southwest (3 PM) → West (6 PM). Use these key times as reference points for interpolation.

Example Problem

Example: In which direction is the sun at 9:00 AM? Solution: Step 1: Time = 9:00 AM (morning) Step 2: At 6 AM, sun is in East Step 3: At 12 PM, sun is in South Step 4: 9 AM is halfway between, sun is in Southeast Answer: Southeast

Pro Tips & Tricks

  • 6:00 AM (sunrise): Sun in East
  • 7-8 AM: Sun in East-southeast
  • 9 AM: Sun in Southeast
  • 10-11 AM: Sun in South-southeast
  • 12 PM (noon): Sun in South
  • 1-2 PM: Sun in South-southwest

Shortcut Methods to Solve Faster

Morning: sun in East/Southeast
Noon: sun in South
Afternoon: sun in West/Southwest
Sunrise (6 AM) = East, Sunset (6 PM) = West
The sun moves 15° per hour across the sky

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Assuming sun is directly overhead at noon (it's in South, not overhead except at equator)
Confusing sunrise and sunset directions
Applying Southern Hemisphere rules to Northern Hemisphere problems
Thinking the sun moves from East to West via North (it moves via South)

Exam Importance

Sun Direction is an important topic for various competitive exams. Here's how frequently it appears:

SSC CGL
1-2 questions
BANKING PO
1-2 questions
RAILWAYS RRB
1-2 questions
CAT
0-1 questions
INSURANCE
1-2 questions

Ready to Master Sun Direction?

Start with Worksheet 1 and work your way up to expert level! Each worksheet includes:

20 practice questions
Detailed solutions
Step-by-step explanations
Start Practicing Now