Surveying

Azimuth and Bearing

Two ways of stating a line’s direction: azimuth clockwise from north, 0–360°; bearing as an angle from north or south.

An azimuth is measured clockwise from north through a full 360°. A bearing is an acute angle measured from north or south toward east or west, so the same line can be azimuth 324°40′ or bearing N 35°20′ W. Reversing a line adds 180° to the azimuth, or swaps both letters of the bearing.

Latitudes and departures, coordinate computations and traverse closures all start from these directions. A calculator’s arctangent returns only the angle, not the quadrant, so the signs of the northing and easting differences decide which bearing it is.

How much of the FE Civil exam is Surveying?