Direction

In real life

Why is thinking about direction relevant in these real-life situations:

the direction of the sun when building a house
a 4WD trip across Australia’s arid centre
a resident who lives in the path of planes taking off from a busy international airport
a lookout planned for an area of forest that has been partly earmarked for logging?

Tools for finding direction in the field include a compass and a GPS.

Using a compass

A compass is used in conjunction with a topographic map to calculate a bearing which then becomes the direction in which you travel.

A compass is most often used when orienteering and bushwalking.

How to use a compass.

Compass

Using a GPS

A Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver uses approximately three to four satellites to work out your location anywhere in the world. Information about latitude, longitude, altitude and time is provided on small screen. The data is so precise that co-ordinates are usually within a few metres.

The GPS is a relatively recent invention and has become more user-friendly since the primary concept was developed in the 1970s. Over time, the technology has been refined and made more affordable so that now GPS receivers are used frequently in military operations, emergency services, construction and surveying, as household items on boats and in cars, and as applications for mobile phones.

How to use a GPS.

Find out more

Go to the United States GPS website for more information about a GPS.

Quiz question

Does a GPS work in a cave?