Bearings Worksheet

1. A town, A, is 300 km due West of a town, T, and X is a village 150 km from T on a

bearing of 030°. A helicopter flies on a straight course from A to X.
(a) Draw a sketch to represent this information
(b) Calculate:
(i) the distance, AX, to the nearest km.
(ii) the bearing of X from A, to the nearest degree.
(iii) the distance, in km, of X East of T.

2. Points O, P and Q are in the same horizontal plane. P is 15 m away from O on a bearing
of 040° from O.
Q is on a bearing of 300° from O, PQ = 17 m.

(a) Sketch a diagram to represent this information.

(b) Calculate the distance OQ.

3. The diagram below, not drawn to scale, shows the journey of a ship which sailed from
Port K to Port L. Port L is located 28 km East and 16 km South of Port K.

28 k m
K

16 km

L
Calculate, giving your answer correct to three significant figures:
(i) the distance KL.
(ii) the bearing of Port L from Port K.

4. On the diagram below, not drawn to scale, TU = 8m, TW = 10m, VW = 11m, angle UTW
= 60° and angle WUV = 40°.

P 132°

48°
56° Q
x°

R
:Calculate the value of x as shown in the diagram. [2 marks]
(i) The distance from Portcity (P), to Queenstown (Q) is 220 km and the
distance from Queenstown to Riversdale (R) is 36 km. Calculate the distance
RP. [3 marks]
(ii) Determine the bearing of R from P. [3 marks]
5. The diagram below, not drawn to scale, shows the position of two hurricane tracking
stations, P and Q, relative to a point O. P is on a bearing of 025° from O, and
OP = 400 km. Q is on a bearing of 080° from P and PQ = 700 km.

N Q
P

(a) Copy the diagram above. On your diagram label the angles that show the bearings of
025° and 080°.
(b) Calculate:
(i) ∠ OPQ
(ii) the length, to the nearest km, of OQ.
(iii) the bearing of Q from O. [7 marks]

6. J, K and L are three seaports. A ship began a journey at J, sailed to K, then to L and
returned to J. The bearing of K from J is 054° and L is due East of K.
JK = 122 km and KL = 60 km.
(a) Draw a clearly labelled diagram to represent the above information. Show on the
diagram:
(i) the North/South direction
(ii) the bearing 054°.
(iii) the distances 122 km and 60 km. [3 marks]
(b) Calculate:
(i) the measure of angle JKL.
(ii) the distance JL.
(iii) the bearing of J from L. [7 marks]

(iii)

7. (a) The diagram below, not drawn to scale, shows three stations, P, Q and R, such
that the bearing of Q from R is 116° and the bearing of P from R is 242°. The
vertical line at R shows the North direction.

116°
R

P Q
 (i) Show that angle PRQ = 126°. [2 marks]
(ii) Given that PR = 38 metres and QR = 108 metres, calculate the distance PQ, giving
your answer correct to the nearest metre. [3 marks]

(b) K, L and M are points along a straight line along a horizontal plane, as shown below.

K L M
A vertical pole, SK, is positioned such that the angles of elevation of the top of the
pole S from L and M are 21° and 14° respectively.
The height of the pole, SK, is 10 metres.
(i) Copy and complete the diagram to show the pole SK and the angles of
elevation of S from L and M. [4 marks]
(ii) Calculate, correct to one decimal place,
a) the length of KL.
b) the length of LM. [6 marks]