Here we will learn about bearings, including measuring bearings, drawing bearings and calculating bearings.
There are also bearings maths worksheets based on Edexcel, AQA and OCR exam questions, along with further guidance on where to go next if you’re still stuck.
Bearings are angles, measured clockwise from north.
To measure a bearing, we must first know which direction is north.
This north direction is usually provided in the maths exam question. We then measure the required angle in a clockwise direction. All bearings need to be given in three figures, so if the angle measured is less than 100 degrees, we must start the three-figure bearing with a zero.
The diagram shows three points A, B and P.
The angles are measured clockwise from the north line.
The bearing of A from P is 045^ .
The bearing of B from P is 260^ .
Bearings are used by sailors and pilots to describe the direction they are travelling. They are also used on land by hikers and the military.