In a picture taken in an unknown location, the sun shines on skyscrapers solely from the right. What direction was the camera facing?

Question

My son reasoned that if the sun is shining on the right sides of the skyscrapers, then east is to the right. Therefore, the camera is facing north. Therefore my son answered "a) North".

But Scantron marked him wrong. Why? What's wrong with his deduction? Please show the steps?

2. Unlike the previous question 1, this time a different picture features two different skyscrapers. But now you have no clue or idea where, or in what hemisphere, this picture was taken.

Just like before, you can clearly see sunlight coming from the right hand side of the picture, gleaming just the right side of the skyscrapers. No sunlight whatsoever glistens their left side. What direction must the camera been facing?

a) North
b) South
c) East
d) West
e) More information is needed to answer this question.

Answer 1

Your son was assuming that it is morning and therefore the Sun is to the east. That assumption is not valid. The Sun also shines in the evening when the Sun is to the west. In order for the Sun to be to the right in the evening, you must be facing south. Answer a) is not correct. Only answer "e) More information is needed to answer this question" is correct. The time of day is important to know.

If it is noon, the hemisphere can be important. Buildings north of the Tropic of Cancer are illuminated on the south face (so camera facing east), and building south of the Tropic of Capricorn are illuminated on the north face (so camera facing west).