MATLAB: Magnitude and direction from north and east components

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I have displacement data components along north and east how to find its magnitude and direction with reference to north(0-360) in matlab. The components may have same sign or opposite both possible.

Best Answer

Hi Mithun,

You can think of North and East as your X and Y. As you have taken north as reference so use below formulas to calculate magnitude and angle.

Magnitude = sqrt(North^2+East^2);
Theta = atan((-East)/North);

I am using -East because East is 90 degree closewise to North and atan calculates angles in counter clockwise directions from reference.

Thanks,

Deepak

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