A bearing is an angle measured clockwise from north, written with three digits. Put the protractor on the start point, line up the north line, and read clockwise to the target.
This lesson is part of topographic direction and position. The grid lines from four-figure and six-figure grid references give you the north line.
What is the routine?
Use the same four steps every time.
- Mark the start point and draw a line to the target.
- Draw or find a north line through the start point.
- Place the protractor centre on the start point with 0° on the north line.
- Read clockwise from north to the line, and write three digits.
If the target is west of north, the angle is more than 180° clockwise, so read the outer scale.
Worked example: an original map with a jetty and a hut
On an original map, the start point is a jetty. A hut lies to the south-east. The line from the jetty to the hut makes an angle of 50° with the south line, measured towards the east.
The south line is 180° clockwise from north. The hut is 50° short of the south line on the east side, so the bearing is 180° − 50° = 130°. Written with three digits: 130°.
Back bearing: 130° is less than 180°, so add 180° to get 310°. From the hut, the jetty lies on a bearing of 310°, which is north-west.
Check: north-west is about 315°, and 310° is close, so the answer is sensible.
The mistake: measuring anticlockwise
Students sometimes read the angle from north the short way round. For a target to the north-west, that gives 40°, but the correct bearing is 360° − 40° = 320°, because bearings always run clockwise.
| Target | Wrong bearing | Right bearing |
|---|---|---|
| 40° west of north | 040° | 320° |
| 25° west of south | 205° read as 155° | 205° |
The check is a quick sketch. North-west bearings are between 270° and 360°.
Check yourself
The bearing of a tower from a school is 072°. Find the bearing of the school from the tower.
Answer
072° is less than 180°, so add 180°: 072° + 180° = 252°.
The school is south-west of the tower, which matches 252° lying between 180° and 270°.
What to study next
Go to distinguishing relative position from an exact grid location to see when a bearing is not what the question wants.
For a teacher to watch your protractor work, see online one-to-one Geography tuition.