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What is the direction in degrees that corresponds to the bearing S 48 W? Do not give any units in your answer. As usual, your answer should consist only of a number. Your answer must be between -180 and 179.

so since its -(90+48)= -138 correct?

This is the theory i have in my textbook enter image description here

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    I don't understand the problem, but I really don't understand why there's a 480 in the problem and a 48 in your solution. Or is that 480 supposed to be 48 degrees?2012-09-17
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    @GerryMyerson oops typo.. sorry was trying to put the degree there2012-09-17
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    If S $48$ W means $48$° west of due south, a bearing of $0$ is due north, bearings clockwise from that are positive, and bearings counterclockwise from that are negative, then $-138$ is not correct: it should be $-180+48=-132$. However, I don’t know whether my assumptions are correct.2012-09-17
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    I would concur with Brian's answer. More typically it would be expressed as 228°.2012-09-17
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    @copper.hat take a look at my textbook explanation..2012-09-17
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    What you have in your textbook confirms my guess at the meaning of $S $48$° W but doesn’t have any bearing (sorry!) on the other assumptions.2012-09-17
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    Agree with copper.hat. I have never seen a compass dial with negative numbers. Quite irrespective of what OP's textbook says. OTOH adding/subtracting a multiple of 360 to accomodate for the whims of a textbook author is also a basic skill. Anyway I'm fairly sure that copper.hat was simply making the observation that the prescribed interval of length 360 is an odd choice in the context of compass bearings.2012-09-17
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    @JyrkiLahtonen ya i also knew that there is no negative compass.. u know wat i am going to clarify this with my teacher and going to show him this post haha..2012-09-17
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    What did the teacher say?2012-09-18

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When I was in high school we used this notation for bearings. The notation S 48 W is interpreted as beginning at south, then rotating 48 degrees towards the West direction. The angle in degrees, which in this context should be measured from the North direction, is thus -180 + 48 = -132 degrees.

Note: It is negative because the direction is typically measured from the North direction and clockwise. Our bearing is 132 degrees counter-clockwise from North and therefore negative.

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    i will clarify with my lecturer and update this later tonight!! perhaps who knows both answers are correct...2012-09-17
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    so looks like i am right i clarified with my teacher he said both the answers can be right but depends on the question..2012-09-18