If you veer 1 degree off your desired bearing for 1 mile, how many feet will you be off your target?

When you veer 1 degree off your desired bearing while traveling for 1 mile, you can use some basic trigonometric principles to find out how far off course you will be.

A mile is equivalent to 5280 feet. When you veer off course by 1 degree, the horizontal displacement can be calculated using the sine function. Specifically, the formula for a small angle where the deviation from the original path is minimal can be approximated by using:

Distance Off Course = Distance Traveled * sin(deviation in radians).

Since 1 degree is approximately 0.01745 radians, you'd calculate the distance off course as:

Distance Off Course = 5280 feet * sin(1 degree) ≈ 5280 feet * 0.01745 ≈ 92.2 feet.

This figure rounds to approximately 100 feet, leading to the reasoning behind the correct answer. Understanding this relationship helps hikers, hunters, or anyone navigating through the wilderness to appreciate the importance of accurately maintaining their bearings to avoid significant deviations from their intended path.