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Bearings and scale drawings

Bearings and scale drawings for A Level Law Edexcel Higher: what it means, how to set the working out, and the questions it is asked in.
  • A Level
  • Edexcel
  • Law
  • Higher
  • Spec A17
  • 11 min read
  • 7 revision boxes

Introduction

2 boxes
4 min read

What is bearings and scale drawings?

Listen to this box

Transcript

A short spoken summary of bearings and scale drawings and where it is used.

A spoken walk-through of bearings and scale drawings before you read the notes.
The specification wording is precise here, and the mark scheme follows that wording exactly.
The layout below is the one the mark scheme expects.

Diagram showing bearings and scale drawings laid out step by step

The same idea drawn out, so the method is visible.
6 rows

The bearings and scale drawings reference table

Read the units in the question before you start; a converted unit is the most common slip.
Worth knowing: ≈160\approx 160.
Term
Meaning
Example
Common slip
Row 1 column 1
Row 1 column 2
a2+b2=c2a^2 + b^2 = c^2
Row 1 column 4
Row 2 column 1
Row 2 column 2
≈160\approx 160
Row 2 column 4
Row 3 column 1
Row 3 column 2
49=7\sqrt{49} = 7
Row 3 column 4
Row 4 column 1
Row 4 column 2
49=7\sqrt{49} = 7
Row 4 column 4

Learning

3 boxes
4 steps

How to work with bearings and scale drawings

Check the answer against an estimate before you move on, so a place-value slip is caught here.
The layout below is the one the mark scheme expects.

Diagram showing bearings and scale drawings laid out step by step

The same idea drawn out, so the method is visible.
  1. Read the question and write down what is being asked for.
  2. Set out the working for bearings and scale drawings in the order the method gives.
  3. Substitute the values and simplify.
  4. Check the answer against an estimate before writing it down.
Start from the definition and substitute the numbers the question gives you.
Simplify one line at a time: a2+b2=c2a^2 + b^2 = c^2.
Answer: 34×25\frac{3}{4} \times \frac{2}{5}
2 rules

Key facts: Bearings and scale drawings

Work through the method one line at a time and write down what changes at each step.
Worth knowing: 34×25\frac{3}{4} \times \frac{2}{5}.

  • Rule 1

    How bearings and scale drawings behaves in the 1st of the cases the specification names.
    ×10\times 10 moves every digit one column left

  • Rule 2

    How bearings and scale drawings behaves in the 2nd of the cases the specification names.
    49=7\sqrt{49} = 7

  • Rule 3

    How bearings and scale drawings behaves in the 3rd of the cases the specification names.
    ≈160\approx 160
4 steps

How to work with bearings and scale drawings

The specification wording is precise here, and the mark scheme follows that wording exactly.
Worth knowing: 49=7\sqrt{49} = 7.
  1. Read the question and write down what is being asked for.
  2. Set out the working for bearings and scale drawings in the order the method gives.
  3. Substitute the values and simplify.
  4. Check the answer against an estimate before writing it down.
Start from the definition and substitute the numbers the question gives you.
Simplify one line at a time: 49=7\sqrt{49} = 7.
Answer: 34×25\frac{3}{4} \times \frac{2}{5}

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Examples

2 boxes
2 marks · worked

Worked example: bearings and scale drawings

Sketch the shape even when the question does not ask for one — it makes the next step obvious.
The layout below is the one the mark scheme expects.

Diagram showing bearings and scale drawings laid out step by step

The same idea drawn out, so the method is visible.
1 marks · worked

Practice question 7: ×10\times 10 moves every digit one column left

Read the units in the question before you start; a converted unit is the most common slip.
Worth knowing: ≈160\approx 160.

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Common questions

How many marks is bearings and scale drawings usually worth?
Between one and four, depending on how many steps the question asks for.
Is this on the A Level Law Edexcel Higher paper?
Yes — it sits in the Spoken language strand.