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More complicated than it needs to be due to wording.
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Its important to visualize this question, once you do that, it might not be that hard and you can even do it mentally. What the question essentially says is that if X pulls Y forward by 3m, that means that from their starting position, let's say 0, they have gone backwards 3 metres, now standing at -3m. They are now pulled forward by first 5 metres, then 2 metres, a total of 7 metres forward.
This becomes -3 + 7 = 4.
The team loses when they touch 10 metres, so if they are pulled 6 metres more by team y, team x will lose.
answer - C) 6
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Its important to visualize this question, once you do that, it might not be that hard and you can even do it mentally. What the question essentially says is that if X pulls Y forward by 3m, that means that from their starting position, let's say 0, they have gone backwards 3 metres, now standing at -3m. They are now pulled forward by first 5 metres, then 2 metres, a total of 7 metres forward.
This becomes -3 + 7 = 4.
The team loses when they touch 10 metres, so if they are pulled 6 metres more by team y, team x will lose.
answer - C) 6
Hey quite liked your explanation , visualisation made it easy
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Hey nikchopra,

I see where you went wrong. The key insight about tug of war is that it's ONE rope — when Team X pulls Team Y forward 3 meters, that ALSO means Team X has gained 3 meters back in its own favor. So that first pull actually works AGAINST Team X being pulled forward.

Think of it like a number line with a center marker:

Start: Center is at 0.

Step 1: Team X pulls Team Y forward 3 meters: The center moves 3 meters toward X's side. From Team X's perspective, they are now 3 meters AWAY from losing ground.

Step 2: Team Y pulls Team X forward 5 meters: The center swings 5 meters back toward Y's side. Net position for Team X = -3 + 5 = 2 meters forward.

Step 3: Team Y pulls Team X forward 2 more meters: Net position for Team X = 2 + 2 = 4 meters forward.

So Team X has only been pulled a net of 4 meters forward, not7.

Your mistake was counting the 5 meters and 2 meters for Team X (getting 7) but ignoring that the first pull of 3 meters by Team X effectively REVERSED some of that. In tug of war, every pull in one direction undoes progress in the other direction.

Team X needs to be pulled 10 meters forward to lose. They're at 4 meters, so Team Y needs 10 - 4 = 6 more meters.

Answer: C

nikchopra
Can someone help for this question, I got 3 metres -

I formed -
Team X total moved is - 5m(automatic after first leg) + 2m (team y pulls)
Team Y total moved is - 3m(first leg move)

So for Team Y to win , team X has to reach 10 metres where it has already done 7 metres so 3 left
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