© T Madas

A bearing is a way of defining direction as an angle

measured from due North in a clockwise direction

N Bearings are always

written in 3 digits

B
063°

What is the bearing of B from A ?

In other words if you are at A and facing North, by
how many degrees must you turn in a clockwise
direction until you are facing B ?
© T Madas
A bearing is a way of defining direction as an angle
measured from due North in a clockwise direction
N

B
243°
A

What is the bearing of A from B ?

In other words if you are at B and facing North, by
how many degrees must you turn in a clockwise
direction until you are facing A ?
© T Madas
A bearing is a way of defining direction as an angle
measured from due North in a clockwise direction
N
N

B
063°
243°
A

What is the bearing of A from B ?

In other words if you are at B and facing North, by
how many degrees must you turn in a clockwise
direction until you are facing A ?
© T Madas
A bearing is a way of defining direction as an angle
measured from due North in a clockwise direction
N
N

B
063°
243°
A

The bearing of B from A is 063°

The bearing of A from B is 243°
A bearing is an angle between 0° and 360°
© T Madas
How do these bearings relate to each other?

N
N

B
063°
243°
A

© T Madas
 How do these bearings relate to each other?

N
N

B
063°
63° 243°
180°
A

Alternate Angles

to get the bearing “backwards”:

we try to get an angle between 0° and 360° by adding
or subtracting 180°.
© T Madas
to get the bearing “backwards”:
we try to get an angle between 0° and 360° by adding
or subtracting 180°.

The bearing of Norwich from London is 042°

∴ The bearing of London from Norwich is 222°

The bearing of Birmingham from Dover is 300°

∴ The bearing of Dover from Birmingham is 120°

to get the bearing “backwards”:

we try to get an angle between 0° and 360° by adding
or subtracting 180°.
© T Madas
© T Madas
© T Madas
What is the bearing of X from Y ? What is the bearing of P from Q ?
060° 290°

110°
P
X
Y
120° Q
110°

What is the bearing of W from O ? What is the bearing of A from B ?

230° 130°

B
130° O
50°

W
A
© T Madas
What is the bearing of K from H ? What is the bearing of P from Q ?
047° 292°

K P
68°
H 68°
Q
133°

What is the bearing of Z from O ? What is the bearing of A from B ?

223° 132°

B
137° O
48°
48°
Z
A
© T Madas
© T Madas
What is the bearing of X from Y ? What is the bearing of P from Q ?
060° 290°

110°
P
X
Y
120° Q
110°

What is the bearing of W from O ? What is the bearing of A from B ?

230° 130°

B
130° O
50°

W
A
© T Madas
What is the bearing of K from H ? What is the bearing of P from Q ?
047° 292°

P
K 68°
H 68°
Q
133°

What is the bearing of Z from O ? What is the bearing of A from B ?

223° 132°

B
137° O
48°
48°
Z
A
© T Madas
© T Madas
A ship left port A heading for port B.
It sailed due East for 40 miles.
It then sailed due North for 30 miles.
Find:
1. The distance between the two ports
2. The bearing of port B as measured from port A
3. The bearing of port A as measured from port B

d 30

A
40
© T Madas
By Pythagoras Theorem:
d 2 = 402 + 302

c c c c
d 2 = 1600 + 900
d 2 = 2500
d = 2500
d = 50 miles

d 30

A
40
© T Madas
A ship left port A heading for port B.
It sailed due East for 40 miles.
It then sailed due North for 30 miles.
Find:
1. The distance between the two ports 50 miles
2. The bearing of port B as measured from port A
3. The bearing of port A as measured from port B

d 30
?
A θ
40
© T Madas
 Opp
tanθ =

c
adj
30
tanθ =

c
40

θ = tan-1 0.75

c
θ ≈ 37°

d 30
?
A θ37°
40
© T Madas
A ship left port A heading for port B.
It sailed due East for 40 miles.
It then sailed due North for 30 miles.
Find:
1. The distance between the two ports 50 miles
2. The bearing of port B as measured from port A 053°
3. The bearing of port A as measured from port B 233°

d 30

A 37°
40
© T Madas
© T Madas
A soldier walked from his base for 3 km on a bearing of
050° to a point A.
He then walked a further 4 km due east to a point B.
Find:
1. How far east of the base is point B ?
2. The bearing of B as measured from the base.
3. The bearing of the base as measured from B.

A 4 B
D

050°
Base
C
© T Madas
 Opp
sinθ =

c
Hyp
DA
sin50° =

c
3

DA = 3 x sin50°

c
DA ≈ 2.30 km
N

2.3 A 4 B
D

050°
Base Point B is 6.3 km east of the base
C
© T Madas
A soldier walked from his base for 3 km on a bearing of
050° to a point A.
He then walked a further 4 km due east to a point B.
Find:
1. How far east of the base is point B ? 6.3 km
2. The bearing of B as measured from the base.
3. The bearing of the base as measured from B.

2.3 A 4 B
D

050°
Base θ
C
© T Madas
 DC
cos50° =

c
AC
DC
cos50° =

c
3

DC = 3 x cos50°

c
DC ≈ 1.93 km
N

2.3 A 4 B
D
1.93

Base θ
C
© T Madas
 Opp
tanθ =

c
adj
6.3
tanθ =

c
1.93

θ ≈ tan-1 3.264

c
N θ ≈ 73°

2.3 A 4 B
D
1.93

θ
Base 73°
C B is at a bearing of 073° from the base
© T Madas
A soldier walked from his base for 3 km on a bearing of
050° to a point A.
He then walked a further 4 km due east to a point B.
Find:
1. How far east of the base is point B ? 6.3 km
2. The bearing of B as measured from the base. 073°
3. The bearing of the base as measured from B. 253°
N
N

2.3 A 4 B
D
73°
1.93

Base 73°
C B is at a bearing of 073° from the base
© T Madas
Final question for all
you wimps!
How far is point B from
the base?

© T Madas
 By Pythagoras Theorem:
d 2 = 6.32 + 1.932

c c c c
d 2 = 39.69 + 3.72
d 2 = 43.41
d = 43.41
d ≈ 6.6 km
N
N

2.3 A 4 B
D
1.93

d
Base 73°
C B is 6.6 km away from the base
© T Madas
© T Madas
A soldier walked from his base for 4 km on a bearing of
060° to a point A.
He then walked a further 5 km due east to a point B.
Find:
1. The distance of point B from the base?
2. The bearing of B as measured from the base.
3. The bearing of the base as measured from B.

A 5 B
30° 150°

060°
d
Base
C
© T Madas
 By the cosine rule on ABC
d 2 = 52 + 42 – 2 x 5 x 4 x cos150°

c
d 2 = 25 + 16 – 40 cos150°

c
d 2 ≈ 75.64

c
d ≈ 8.7 km
N

A 5 B
30° 150°

060°
d
Base
C
© T Madas
A soldier walked from his base for 4 km on a bearing of
060° to a point A.
He then walked a further 5 km due east to a point B.
Find:
1. The distance of point B from the base? 8.7 km
2. The bearing of B as measured from the base.
3. The bearing of the base as measured from B.

A 5 B
30° 150°

060°

Base θ
C
© T Madas
 By the sine rule on ABC :

5 x sinθ = sin150°x 5

c
5 8.7

sinθ = 5sin150°

c
8.7
sinθ ≈ 0.287

c c
θ ≈ sin-1 (0.287)
N θ ≈ 17°

A 5 B
30° 150°

060°

Base θ
C
© T Madas
A soldier walked from his base for 4 km on a bearing of
060° to a point A.
He then walked a further 5 km due east to a point B.
Find:
1. The distance of point B from the base? 8.7 km
2. The bearing of B as measured from the base. 077°
3. The bearing of the base as measured from B. 257°

A 5 B
30° 150° 77°

060°

Base
C B is at a bearing of 077° from the base
© T Madas
© T Madas