Variables
Description
What is this formula?
This trigonometric formula calculates the horizontal distance component from a measured bearing distance and bearing angle.
Bearing angles are commonly measured clockwise from the north direction in navigation, surveying, and mapping applications.
The formula uses the sine function to determine the east-west component of the displacement.
When to use it
Use this formula when:
- A bearing distance is known
- A bearing angle is known
- Horizontal displacement must be calculated
- Working with navigation or surveying data
- Resolving vector components from directional measurements
The angle may be expressed in degrees or radians depending on calculator settings.
Example
If:
d = 150 m
theta = 35°
Then:
x = 150*sin(35°)
x ≈ 86.04 m
Applications
- Land surveying
- Navigation systems
- Civil engineering
- GIS and mapping
- Vector analysis
- Maritime and aviation calculations