Question 1: Bearing and Distance From Coordinates

Two points have the following coordinates:

Point Easting Northing

A 32255.751 49076.286
B 12231.864 36939.667

Calculate the bearing A to B and plan distance AB.

Answer: 238°46’46.7”, 23414.815 m

Solution:

Visualise the problem.

55000

45000
Northing

N

B
E

35000
10000 20000 30000 40000
Easting

Now find the E and N:

Note: To find the bearing
of A to B we take B
© 2002 School of Surveying and Spatial Information Systems,coordinates
UNSW minus A
coordinates
E = EB - EA
= 12231.864 - 32255.751
= -20023.887

N = NB - NA
= 36939.667 - 49076.286
= -12136.619

Using Pythagoras’s Theorem to solve dAB:

2
d AB     
55000

N
= -20023.8872 + -12136.6192
A

d AB  - 20023.887  - 12136.619
2 2

Northing
45000

dAB = 23414.815 m N

B
E

Now for the Bearing : 35000

10000 20000 30000 40000
Easting
 E 
  Tan 1  
 N 

The signs of E and N will determine the quadrant of the bearing:

+ N

0°

270° A 90°
- E + E

B
180°

- N

The diagram above shows that our bearing will be in the 3rd quadrant, between 180°
and 270°

© 2002 School of Surveying and Spatial Information Systems, UNSW

  - 20023.887 
  Tan 1  
 - 12136.619 
= 58.77965125

This is in the wrong quadrant so we have to add 180°

58°.77965125 + 180°
55000

N
= 238.77965125
A
To convert to degrees, minutes and seconds:

Northing
45000
The degrees is just the integer of 238.77965125:
N
Degrees = 238º
B
E
Minutes = (238.77965125 - 238)  60 35000
= 46.779075 (take the integer of this) 10000 20000 30000 40000

= 46’ Easting

46
Seconds = (238.77965125 - 238 - )  3600
60
= 46.7”

Therefore:

 = 238°46’46.7”

Check by reverse solution:

We can check our result by working backwards starting at point A and calculating the
coordinates of B using the derived bearing and distance.

ΔE AB  d AB sin β AB
= 23414.815  sin(238°46’46.7”)
= -20023.884

ΔN AB  d AB cos β AB
= 23414.815  cos(238°46’46.7”)
= -12136.623

Coordinates of B:
EB = 32255.751 + -20023.884
= 12231.867

© 2002 School of Surveying and Spatial Information Systems, UNSW

NB = 49076.286 + -12136.623
= 36939.663

Now you will notice that the easting and northing of B differs by 3mm and 4mm
respectively. This is due to the rounding of our bearing (0.1” error over our 23km line
represents about 11mm).

l=r
= 24000  0.1”  
= 11mm
11mm
0.1”
A 24 km B

Excel Example:
55000

A
Northing

45000

N

B
E

35000
10000 20000 30000 40000
Easting

Formulae:

© 2002 School of Surveying and Spatial Information Systems, UNSW

Now try solving this question yourself.

Two points have the following coordinates:

Point Easting Northing

A 32.751 50076.286
B 121.864 49939.667

Calculate the bearing A to B and distance AB.

(Check your answer using the above methods).

© 2002 School of Surveying and Spatial Information Systems, UNSW