Which statement best describes the bearing of a line?

Which statement best describes the bearing of a line?

• A. The bearing describes the direction with respect to the reference meridian and indicates whether measured from the north or south and toward east or west.
• B. The bearing is always measured clockwise from true north.
• C. Bearing is the same as azimuth and uses 0-360.
• D. Bearing is used only in marine navigation.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that a bearing specifies direction relative to a reference line, usually a north–south meridian, and it tells you whether you start from north or from south and then go toward east or west. In land surveying, bearings are typically given as a quadrant, such as N30E or S45W, which communicates both the reference direction and the turn toward a specific side. This is why the statement is best: it accurately describes how bearing is defined and expressed in practice.

Bearings aren’t limited to always being measured clockwise from true north, nor are they identical to azimuth (which is the 0–360 clockwise angle from north). And bearing isn’t confined to marine navigation; it’s routinely used in land surveying as well.