Calculate a reverse or back bearing from decimal degrees, DMS, or quadrant notation, with reciprocal azimuth, compass direction, and converted formats.
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Reverse Bearing Formula
The following formula is used to calculate the Reverse Bearing (back bearing) for whole-circle bearings/azimuths in degrees, normalized to the 0° to <360° range.
- Where RB is the Reverse Bearing (degrees)
- CB is the current bearing (degrees)
In other words, add 180° to the current bearing and wrap the result into 0° to <360° (equivalently: RB = (CB + 180) mod 360).
How to Calculate Reverse Bearing?
The following example problems outline how to calculate Reverse Bearing.
Example Problem #1:
- First, determine the current bearing (degrees).
- The current bearing (degrees) is given as: 50.
- Finally, calculate the Reverse Bearing using the equation above:
RB = CB + 180
The values given above are inserted into the equation below and the solution is calculated:
RB = 50 + 180 = 230 (degrees)
Example Problem #2:
For this problem, the variables required are provided below:
current bearing (degrees) = 80
Test your knowledge using the equation and check your answer with the calculator above.
RB = CB + 180 = ?
RB = 80 + 180 = 260 (degrees)
