Which term describes the direction of one object to another?

Which term describes the direction of one object to another?

• A. Bearing
• B. Heading
• C. Course
• D. Reciprocal direction

Answer: (A)

Bearing is the direction from one object to another. It’s the angle between north and the line joining the two objects, measured clockwise. For navigation you’ll use bearings relative to a reference north (true north or magnetic north), so you can say the direction to a buoy from your position is a specific bearing, like 045° true. Heading is different—it’s the direction the vessel’s bow is pointing at a moment, which can be affected by wind or current. Course is the path over the ground you intend to follow or actually travel, which may differ from heading. The reciprocal direction would be the opposite direction (bearing plus or minus 180°), the way back to where you started.

Bearing is the direction from one object to another. It’s the angle between north and the line joining the two objects, measured clockwise. For navigation you’ll use bearings relative to a reference north (true north or magnetic north), so you can say the direction to a buoy from your position is a specific bearing, like 045° true.

Heading is different—it’s the direction the vessel’s bow is pointing at a moment, which can be affected by wind or current. Course is the path over the ground you intend to follow or actually travel, which may differ from heading. The reciprocal direction would be the opposite direction (bearing plus or minus 180°), the way back to where you started.