Eight girls M, N, O, P, Q, R, S and T are sitting around a circle facing towards the centre. Only three friends are sitting between P and S. M is sitting to the immediate right of S and to the immediate left of R. Only N is sitting between S and O. P is sitting second to the left of O.
Who is sitting second to the left of P?
- AN
- BM
- CS
- DR
Solution & Step-by-step Explanation
Let's determine the positions of the 8 friends around the circle facing the center (clockwise vs counter-clockwise movements):
"Only three friends are sitting between P and S." In a circle of 8 people, sitting with 3 people between them means P and S are exactly opposite to each other.
"M is sitting to the immediate right of S and to the immediate left of R." So going counter-clockwise (since they face the center, immediate right is counter-clockwise): we have S, then M, then R.
"Only N is sitting between S and O." Since M is on one side of S, N and O must be on the other side. Thus, moving clockwise from S, we place N, then O.
Let's check: "P is sitting second to the left of O." If we move clockwise from O (which is left), the first is N, second is S. Wait, let's fix the direction orientation standard:
Facing Center: Clockwise = Left, Counter-Clockwise = Right.
"M is sitting to the immediate right of S" → M is Counter-Clockwise from S.
"M is to the immediate left of R" → R is Counter-Clockwise from M. So the chain is S - M - R (going counter-clockwise).
"Only N is sitting between S and O" → Going clockwise from S, we have N then O.
Let's check "P is sitting second to the left of O": Left of O means clockwise from O. First to the left is N, second to the left is S. But the statement says P is second to the left of O. Let's re-verify the relative positioning.
If P is opposite S, then the order clockwise from S could be N, O, X, P, Y, R, M, S. Let's check: Left of O (clockwise) is X, then P. Yes! Second to the left of O is P. This perfectly satisfies the statement.
So the complete circle order clockwise is: S → N → O → T/Q → P → Q/T → R → M → S.
Now we want to find who is sitting second to the left of P.
Left of P means moving clockwise from P.
First to the left of P is the person next to P towards O.
Second to the left of P is O. Wait, let's re-read carefully: "P is sitting second to the left of O."
Let's look at the remaining positions: The position second to the left of P (moving clockwise) is R. Let's confirm: P → position → R. Since R is immediate left of M and M is immediate right of S, the layout clockwise is: S, N, O, (T/Q), P, (Q/T), R, M.
Moving clockwise (left) from P: 1st left is (Q/T), 2nd left is R.
Thus, R is sitting second to the left of P.
"Only three friends are sitting between P and S." In a circle of 8 people, sitting with 3 people between them means P and S are exactly opposite to each other.
"M is sitting to the immediate right of S and to the immediate left of R." So going counter-clockwise (since they face the center, immediate right is counter-clockwise): we have S, then M, then R.
"Only N is sitting between S and O." Since M is on one side of S, N and O must be on the other side. Thus, moving clockwise from S, we place N, then O.
Let's check: "P is sitting second to the left of O." If we move clockwise from O (which is left), the first is N, second is S. Wait, let's fix the direction orientation standard:
Facing Center: Clockwise = Left, Counter-Clockwise = Right.
"M is sitting to the immediate right of S" → M is Counter-Clockwise from S.
"M is to the immediate left of R" → R is Counter-Clockwise from M. So the chain is S - M - R (going counter-clockwise).
"Only N is sitting between S and O" → Going clockwise from S, we have N then O.
Let's check "P is sitting second to the left of O": Left of O means clockwise from O. First to the left is N, second to the left is S. But the statement says P is second to the left of O. Let's re-verify the relative positioning.
If P is opposite S, then the order clockwise from S could be N, O, X, P, Y, R, M, S. Let's check: Left of O (clockwise) is X, then P. Yes! Second to the left of O is P. This perfectly satisfies the statement.
So the complete circle order clockwise is: S → N → O → T/Q → P → Q/T → R → M → S.
Now we want to find who is sitting second to the left of P.
Left of P means moving clockwise from P.
First to the left of P is the person next to P towards O.
Second to the left of P is O. Wait, let's re-read carefully: "P is sitting second to the left of O."
Let's look at the remaining positions: The position second to the left of P (moving clockwise) is R. Let's confirm: P → position → R. Since R is immediate left of M and M is immediate right of S, the layout clockwise is: S, N, O, (T/Q), P, (Q/T), R, M.
Moving clockwise (left) from P: 1st left is (Q/T), 2nd left is R.
Thus, R is sitting second to the left of P.