Six engineers $P, Q, R, S, T,$ and $U$ sit in a single horizontal row facing North:
1. $P$ and $U$ sit at the extreme ends of the row.
2. $Q$ sits second to the right of $P$.
3. $R$ sits to the immediate left of $U$.
4. $T$ sits to the immediate right of $Q$.
Which engineer sits at the second position from the left end?
Options:
(A) S
(B) T
(C) R
(D) Q
Answer Key:
A
Step-by-Step Solution & Explanation
Let the 6 positions from left to right be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
• From clue 2, $Q$ is second to the right of $P$. Since $P$ and $U$ are at extreme ends, $P$ must be at position 1 (left end), placing $Q$ at position $1 + 2 = 3$.
• Consequently, $U$ is at position 6 (right end).
• Clue 3: $R$ sits to immediate left of $U$ (position 6), so $R$ is at position 5.
• Clue 4: $T$ sits to immediate right of $Q$ (position 3), so $T$ is at position 4.
• The remaining vacant slot is position 2, which must be occupied by $S$.
The full arrangement is: $P$ (1), $S$ (2), $Q$ (3), $T$ (4), $R$ (5), $U$ (6).
Therefore, engineer $S$ sits at the second position from the left end.