Bearings, which are extensively used in navigation, tells you the direction of one point from another. Bearings utilise the fact that there are 360° in a full circle, with "North" being the chosen to represent 000°, all other bearings are taken in degrees, moving clockwise.



The image above is a very good example of a combined "points" and "degrees" type of compass, which shows you North, South, East and West along with the appropriate number of degrees working clockwise. It should be stressed that even though this diagram doesn't accurately show it, all bearings must be represented as 3 digits. This means that for example, 15° would be shown as a bearing of 015°


Let's take a look at an example of how we might establish a bearing of one point from another.



Remember that "East lies at 090°", "South lies at 180°", "West lies at 270°" and "North lies at 000° (which might sometimes be represented as 360°)"


Let's take a look at another example:



Any questions that you may be given could be as in the example above, you will be given a pair of lines separated by a specified angle or you may be asked to evaluate a section of the angle, using your existing knowledge of the number of degrees in the points East South and West. For example the second the diagram from the left (105°) may be represented as follows:



This relies on you having the knowledge that "due East" lies at a bearing of 090° and so the angle "theta" is simply 105-90 = 15°


Alternatively, you may be given a shorter written scenario from which you will be expected to establish what the question is asking you and also produce the answer to it!


Example:


Newman University in Bartley Green lies roughly west of Bournville Lane Police Station. From the map given, plot both locations and find the bearing, in degrees, of:


  • Bournville Lane Police Station from Newman University
  • Newman University from Bournville Lane Police Station



Your answer to this problem, particularly under examination or classroom conditions would probably not be quite this elaborate. You would draw points and lines, and establish the value of the angles using a 360° protractor.


You would come to the conclusion (hopefully) that the bearing of Bournville Lane police station from Newman University is 103.25° and that the bearing from Bournville Lane police station back to Newman University is approximately 283.36°. You would probably round these values to 103° and 283° respectively.


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