Question

Define: (i) True North, (ii) True Bearing.

Hint:

Separate the reference direction from the measured angle. One definition points to the geographic North Pole; the other measures clockwise from that direction to a target.

Answer 1

Step 1: Defining (i) True North (TN):
True North is the geographical direction pointing directly toward the Earth's geographic North Pole (the northern terminal of the Earth's rotational axis).
• Key Characteristics: It is constant and never changes. On a global map, all lines of longitude (meridians) converge at the True North pole. It is represented by a star symbol in standard map reading.

Step 2: Defining (ii) True Bearing:
A bearing is the horizontal angle measured between a reference north line and a line pointing to an object/target.
• Definition: True Bearing is the angle measured in a clockwise direction between the True North line and the line pointing toward the destination or target. It is always measured from $0^{\circ}$ to $360^{\circ}$ using a protractor.

Answer 2

Concept:

• True North is a fixed geographic reference direction.
• True bearing measures the direction of a target by using True North as the zero line.

Step 1: Define the geographic reference.
True North is the direction from a place toward the geographic North Pole along a meridian. It is based on the rotational axis of Earth, not on a magnetic compass.

Step 2: Form the bearing angle.
Imagine one ray pointing toward True North and a second ray pointing toward the object or destination. Measure the horizontal angle clockwise from the north ray to the target ray.

Step 3: State the angular convention.
The angle is written from $000^\circ$ to $360^\circ$, normally as a three-figure bearing. This angle is the true bearing.

Final Answer: True North points to the geographic North Pole; true bearing is the clockwise horizontal angle from True North to the target direction.