BEARING AND SCALE DRAWING

1). BEARING: Bearing refers to the direction of a movement.

We use three methods to show direction.
i. COMPAS BEARING (Nautical bearing)
 There are four cardinal points on the compass.
N

W E

 There are other points half way between the cardinal points e.g. North West (NW),
South East (SE) etc.
 Nautical bearings are measured as acute angles from the North or South to the East
or West.
N N

A Bearing of F from O is 064°

45°
O
ii. THREE FIGURE BEARING
 These are given in three figures
 They are always measured in the clockwise direction starting from the North.
N

Bearing of F from O is 064°

F

064°

2). SCALE DRAWING

When making a scale drawing;
i. Make a rough drawing (sketch diagram) to give a general idea of what the final
diagram should look like.
ii. Choose a suitable scale to give a large diagram.
 The larger the diagram the more accurately you can read the lengths
and angles.

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  Draw parallel lines from North to South (North lines) if you are making
a scale diagram to show bearings at the points from where you are
reading the bearings.
7.
N

A B
30°

C
In the diagram above, B is due East of A and due North of C. Angle BAC is 30°, find the bearing
of A from C.
Solution
Find find <ACB
<ABC+<BAC+<ACB=180° (angles in a triangle)
90°+30°+<ACB=180° Therefore, the bearing of A from C =360°-60°
<ACB=180°-120° =300°
<ACB=60°
N N

A B
30°

60°
C

8).
N

A 110°

C D
In the diagram above, C is due south of A , AB=BC and the bearing of B fro A is 110°. Find the
bearing of Cfrom B.
Solution
¿ BAC=¿ ACB=70° (Base angles on an isosceles triangle)
¿ ACB=¿CBD=70 °
∴the bearing of C from B
¿ 180 °+ 70°

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 ¿ 250 °
9). Three towns P ,Q and R are such that Q is 45 km from P on a bearing of 145°. Make an
accurate scale drawing to show the positions of P,Q and R. From the scale drawing, find the
distance and bearing of R from P.
Solution N
Sketch
N Q 145°

45km
60km
030°
P

Accurate drawing:

4.5cm
030°

P 6cm

R
From the drawing, PR=7.6 cm
7.6 ×10=76 km
The bearing of R from P is

1. B. Show this information in a diagram in a diagram. SW is 225° from N, therefore: A is on

a bearing of 225°.
SOLUTION
At B, draw a line showing N and measure an angle of 225° clockwise from N. A is south
west of point
N

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 A
2. Figure 2 shows the bearing of P from Q.
Find the bearing of Q from P.
N
P

Q 300°

The bearing of Q from P is the angle between North and the direction
from Q to P as parallel to NX shown in figure 3,
It can be found in the following way:
At P, draw line NY.
Solution
N N
¿ YPQ=NQP – alternate angles
P ¿ NQP=360⁰−300⁰=60⁰
Hence < YPQ = 60°
Q Therefore ,< NPQ=180° – 60° =120°
Y 300 ° The bearing of Q ¿ P is 120⁰.

X
3. Points A, B, C and D lie on level ground.
The pint D is due North of A.
DÂC = 140°, CÂB = 90° and AB̂C = 75°. Find the bearing of: a) A from C
North b) B from A
D c) C from B
140°
A

75° B
C

Solution D
a) Y = 180° - 140° (interior opposite <s)
D = 40°
140° A x ∴ Bearing of A from C is 040°
b) X =360° - (140° +90° )=130°
75° B ∴ Bearing B from A is 130°
c) Bearing of C from B
C <x+<z=180° (Interior opposite angles)

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 130° +<z=180°
<z=50°
C ∴ Bearing of C from B
=360° - (75° + 50° )
=235°
4. B
A

2.2m 1.9m

42 ° C
D
The diagram shows a frame work ABCD , AD=2.2 m
BD=1.9 m∧BĈD=45⁰. AD̂C =90⁰
Calculate i) AD̂B ii) BC
b) A vertical flagpole, 18m high, stands on horizontal ground,
Calculate the angle of elevation of the top of the flagpole
from a point, on the ground, 25m from its base.
Solutions
a) i) ¿ ∆ ADB ,
1.9
cos ¿ AD ̂ B=
2.2
1.9
¿ AD ̂ B=cos−1
2.2
¿ 30.27 °
¿ 30.3 ° (1 d . p)
ii ¿∈∆ BDC ,
1.9
sin 42 °=
BC
BC=2.839
¿ 2.84 m(3 s . f ).

b)
1.8m

Q
25m
18
tanQ=
25
Q=35.8⁰ (1 d . p)
∴<of elevation is 35.8⁰ .

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5. The diagram shows the position of a harbour, H, and three islands A, B and C.
C is due North of H.

C
A

128° 31km

54km
B

62°

H
The bearing of A from H is 062° and HÂB = 128° HA = 54km and AB = 31 km.
a) Calculate the distance HB
b) Find the bearing of B from A
c) The bearing of A from C is 133°. Calculate the distance AC.
Solution
a) Using Cosine Rule
HB=54+ 31 – 2(54)(31)cos 128
¿ 77.059
¿ 77.1 m(3 s . f )
b). N

A X °=62 ° (alt < s)

x 128 °−62 °=66 °
128° 31km 180 °−66 °=114 °

62° ∴Bearing of B from A is 114°

B

c). ¿ HCA=180⁰−133⁰
Using Sine Rule;
Sine 47⁰ sin 62⁰
=
54 AC
54 sin 62⁰
AC=
sin 47⁰
¿ 65.19
¿ 65.2 m( 3 s . f )

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1. The diagram below shows three points P, Q and R on the map. Given that the
bearing of Q from P is 035° , the bearing R from Q is 110° and < QRP = 33°

N
Q 110° N
xy
N
w
33° R

35°
V
P
Find:
(a) the bearing of P from Q
(b) the bearing of Q from R
(c) the bearing of P from R
(d) the bearing of R from P

Solution:
a) P from Q
X =35 ° (alternate angles)
Y =180 ° −110
Y =70 °
The bearing of P from Q = X + Y + 110°
= 35° +70 °+ 110 °
= 215°
b) Q from R
110° + W + 180 (interior angles)
W = 180° - 110°
W = 70°
The bearing of Q from R = 360° - 70°
= 290°

c) P from R
360 °−(70° +33 ° ) since W =70
= 257°
∴ The bearing of P from R is 257°
d) R from P
V =180 ° −( x + y +33) (interior angles)
V =180 ° −(35 ° +70 °+33 ° )
V =180 ° −138° =42 °

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 ∴ The bearing of R from P is 42° + 35° = 077°

PRACTICE QUESTIONS:
(1) The diagram below shows an equilateral triangle ABC. A is due North of B and CN is
parallel to BA.

Find (a) BCN ,

(b) the bearing of C from A.
Answer: (a)………………….
(b)………………….

(2) The diagram below shows triangle PQR in which R is due east of Q, angle PQR
=135° and angle QPR=33°.

Calculate (a) angle PRQ,

(b) the bearing of P from R.

Answer: (a)………………….
(b)…………………

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 (3) The bearing of a point B from A is 129° . What is the bearing of A from B?

(4) The bearing of B from A is 072° .

(a) Find the bearing of A from B.

(b) C is due South of B and BA = BC. Find the bearing of A from C.

(5) A, B and C are three towns. C is equidistant from A and B.

The bearing of C from A is 132° and angle BAC = 75° .

Find
(a) (i) the acute angle ACB,
(ii) the reflex angle ACB,
(b) the bearing of A from C,
(c) the bearing of A from B.

ANSWERS
(1) (a) angle BCN = 120° , (b) bearing of C from A = 120°

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(2) (a) 12°, (b) bearing of P from R =256°

(3) bearing of A from B = 309°

(4) (a) bearing of A from B = 252° (b) bearing of A from C =306°

(5) (a) (i) angle ACB = 30°

(ii) the reflex angle ACB = 330°
(c) bearing of A from C = 312°
(d) bearing of A from B = 27°

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