Exterior Angle Balance Table
A free, browser-based calculator. Runs entirely in your browser — no sign up, nothing stored.
Measured exterior angles
- Angle 1°′″
- Angle 2°′″
- Angle 3°′″
- Angle 4°′″
- Angle 5°′″
Enter the angle at each station of the closed traverse. Runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
Balanced angles
| Station | Measured | Balanced |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 108° 0' 30" | 252° 0' 26" |
| 2 | 107° 59' 50" | 251° 59' 46" |
| 3 | 108° 0' 40" | 252° 0' 36" |
| 4 | 108° 0' 10" | 252° 0' 6" |
| 5 | 107° 59' 10" | 251° 59' 6" |
The misclose is shared equally across all angles. Large misclose means a blunder — re-observe rather than adjust.
How to use this calculator
- Choose an angle format, then enter the measured exterior angle at each station.
- Add a row per station.
- Read the measured sum, the expected sum, the misclose and the balanced angles.
How it works
The exterior angles of a closed polygon sum to (n + 2) × 180°. As with interior angles, the difference from that target is the angular misclose, distributed equally across the set.
Exterior angles are common when traversing anticlockwise or booking deflection-style angles; the check is the same, only the target sum differs.
Worked example
Five exterior angles. Five exterior angles should sum to (5 + 2) × 180° = 1260°; any difference is the misclose, shared evenly.
Frequently asked questions
Interior or exterior?
It depends on which angle you booked at each station and the direction you traversed. Use whichever matches your field notes — the expected sum is (n−2)·180° for interior and (n+2)·180° for exterior.
Is this official course material?
No. It is free study support mapped to surveying course levels — not official North Metropolitan TAFE content or advice. Always follow your lecturer and the official assessment brief, and check your own working.
Related tools
Tip: Enter any known values to calculate the remaining results.
All calculations run in your browser. Your inputs are never saved or transmitted.