What is the normal operating range of bearing in degrees?
The normal operating bearing range is 0° to 360°, with 0° (and 360°) representing true north and bearings measured clockwise to East, South, and West.
In practice, different fields use slightly different conventions. Most navigational systems, surveying tools, and mapping software define a full circle as 360 degrees, but some contexts prefer -180° to +180° or provide a separate true vs magnetic bearing. The following sections explain the standard ranges and how to work with them.
What bearing means and the standard range
Bearing describes the direction of a line or path relative to a reference direction—typically true north. The common reference for bearings in civilian navigation is a clockwise measurement from north, resulting in a 0° to 360° range.
The following list highlights typical bearing ranges and the conventions you should know.
- 0° to 360° (inclusive): The most common convention for compass bearings; 0°/360° equals North, 90° East, 180° South, 270° West. Values wrap around at 360°.
- -180° to +180°: An alternative convention often used in certain GIS, engineering, or mapping contexts; 0° is North, positive values indicate clockwise direction, negative values counterclockwise.
- Decimal degrees and higher precision: Bearings can be expressed with decimals (for example, 12.345°) in the same 0–360° or -180° to +180° ranges depending on the system.
In practice, the normalization rule is to wrap values to the chosen interval; if you see -120°, it can be converted to 240° in the 0–360° convention, for example.
Contexts and conventions
Bearings in degrees are used across many fields. The choice of range and notation depends on the application and the software or device in use.
Common contexts include:
- Navigation and maritime: Bearings are typically expressed from true north in the 0–360° range, measured clockwise.
- Aviation: Heading and bearing are given in degrees from 000° to 360°, often distinguishing true vs magnetic headings.
- Land surveying: Can be 0–360° or -180° to +180° depending on the survey convention or instrument settings.
- GIS, mapping, and robotics: Software packages vary; some use 0–360° while others adopt -180° to +180° for ease of plotting on a standard Cartesian plane.
Always verify the convention used by your data source, instrument, or software, and apply normalization if you need to compare bearings across systems.
Converting between bearing conventions
When data uses the -180° to +180° convention and you need a 0–360° bearing, convert by adding 360° to any negative value and then taking the result modulo 360°.
Examples
- -90° → 270°
- 0° → 0°
- 180° → 180°
- -45° → 315°
These conversions ensure that all bearings align with a single, continuous circle for comparisons and calculations.
Summary
In most civilian navigation and mapping contexts, bearings are expressed from 0° to 360° clockwise from true north. Some disciplines use -180° to +180°; the key is to know the convention in use and to normalize data when combining sources. Understanding the range helps avoid misinterpreting direction when planning routes, performing calculations, or interpreting datasets.
What is a bad bearing temperature?
A simple rule for troubleshooting bearing temperatures: No more than 180 degrees Fahrenheit (82 degrees Celsius) on the housing. The bearing outer ring can be up to 20°F (11°C) hotter than the housing. The lubricant originally specified for the application was likely selected to run at lower temperatures.
What is the acceptable bearing clearance?
Deep Groove Ball Bearings: Usually require smaller clearances to ensure smooth operation, typically ranging from 0.003 mm to 0.020 mm. Cylindrical Roller Bearings: Due to the higher load, radial clearance may be larger, usually ranging from 0.010 mm to 0.050 mm.
What is the normal operating temperature for a bearing?
A bearing temperature that is less than 180 degrees F is typically considered acceptable (see the chart below). Of course, there may be other consequences for operating in this “good” range. A higher operating temperature will cause the bearing lubricant to deteriorate at a faster rate.
What temperature should wheel bearings run at?
between 120°F to 160°F
Normal Operating Range: Typically, wheel bearings should be between 120°F to 160°F (49°C to 71°C) during normal use. Anything above 175°F (80°C) is a sign of potential issues, such as lack of lubrication, excessive wear, or a bearing starting to fail.
