LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE LAB
LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE LAB Using an Atlas world map or globe is best for this lab. It should have lat/lon lines on it if possible. Use the links provided for maps online. LENGTH OF A DEGREE OF LONGITUDE (MERIDIAN): Latitude lines are always the same distance from each other (69.171 miles). A degree of longitude varies in length at different latitudes, becoming shorter as the latitude increases. As you go from the equator to the poles the longitude lines convert on the poles, hence the distance between each line shrinks in distance. The table below illustrates this: Length of a Degree of Longitude At Latitude Statute Miles At Latitude Statute Miles 0° 69.171 50° 44.552 10° 69.128 60° 34.674 20° 65.026 70° 23.729 30° 59.956 80° 12.051 40° 53.063 90° 0.000 Reminder: this table shows longitude lengths from 0 to 90° at specific latitudes – at each latitude the miles around the Earth will change, because at the equator the measurement between longitude lines shrinks as you go towards the poles. When you go towards the poles the distance between each longitude will decrease, until you are just at the pole where all the longitude lines converge. When answering the following questions, note there is some math involved, multiplication of the statute miles at a given latitude by how many degrees of longitude exist. Note how many degrees of longitude exist for each question when answering. Based upon the above table, answer questions 1-5. 1. What is the distance in miles around the world at the equator? 2. What is the distance around the world at 40° South Latitude? 3. At which latitude is the distance around the world one-half of the equatorial distance? For these next questions you might want to draw out on a map or make a visual tool to sense the distance between these two points. Remember that lat/lon is written out with Latitude first, then Longitude, e.g. 60°N, 30°W 4. How many miles are there between a point located 60° North Latitude and 30° West Longitude and a point 60° North Latitude and 60° East Longitude? 5. How many miles are there between a point located 30° South Latitude and 60° West Longitude and a point 30° South Latitude and 80° East Longitude? Optional viewing instructions: Follow the instructions for answering the questions below, if you are comfortable using GIS tools like ArcGIS. You can also use a map/atlas 1.1 Open the ArcGIS Online Map Viewer through the link http://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?useExisting=1. 1.2. Click on the “Basemap” button and select “National Geographic”. 1.3. Use the “+” and “-” buttons to zoom in and out on the map. 1.4. Find the following labeled lines of latitude on the map: Arctic Circle, Tropic of Cancer, Equator, Tropic of Capricorn, Antarctic Circle. Or 1.1 Open the world map at http://www.nationsonline.org/maps/political_world_map3000.jpg (Note: your browser may give you the option to zoom into the image with a magnifying glass icon) For these questions, just highlight/circle the answers 6. Which of the following countries are crossed by Tropic of Cancer? a) Sri Lanka b) Mexico c) Canada d) Norway 7. Which of the following countries are crossed by Equator? a) Kenya b) India c) Panama d) El Salvador 8. Which of the following countries are crossed by Arctic Circle? a) Cuba b) Germany c) USA d) Japan 9. Which of the following countries are NOT crossed by the Prime Meridian? a) Mali b) Benin c) Spain d) Algeria 10. Which of the following countries are located at 15°S, 75°W? a) Ecuador b) Tunisia c) Peru d) Bhutan For the following questions, you should note that both cities are located on a similar/very close latitude or longitude line, so using the table on the first page of the lab can help to finding the distances. Remember that all latitude lines are 69.171 miles apart from each other, and the longitude lines are noted on that table. If two cities had the same longitude 90° for example, then it would be a calculation of how many degrees of latitude separate them? After finding that out, you can multiple that by 69.171 to get the distance in miles between both cities. Remember- find the lat/lon of each place first, then determine the distance in miles approximately- do not use Google Maps/etc. for this, it will be wrong! This is an exercise using a map to find the straight line distance. You may use ArcGIS or Google Earth measuring tools if you know how to. 11. By examining the coordinates using either an atlas or a globe, determine the APPROXIMATE distance (in miles) between: a. New Orleans and St. Louis_____________________ b. Philadelphia and Denver_____________________ c. Wilmington, N.C. and Los Angeles_____________________ d. Madrid, Spain and Edinburgh, Scotland_____________________ For the following, note that there is a specific format to writing lat/long that is standard for all coordinates- so make sure to use the correct ° or ‘ or “ for each part. 12. Write the following in their correct form: 60 degrees, 29 minutes, 5 seconds, North Latitude ____________________ 10 degrees, 20 minutes, 50 seconds, South Latitude ____________________ 125 degrees, 45 minutes, 3 seconds, West Longitude ____________________ 13. What are the errors in the following? (All coordinate pairs are written with Degrees, Minutes and Seconds (then with a N/S/E/W symbol for the lat/lon). Latitude is N/S, Longitude is E/W. Degrees have a range of 0-90 for Latitude, 0-180 for Longitude. Minutes and Seconds can only go up to 59, after that the 60 would be the next minute or degree (like rounding up on a clock, you’d never say is 10:60pm, its 11:00pm). With this information highlight the errors below. Do not correct the pairs, only note which element is an error- so highlight them or state only the incorrect part. 89° 47′ 65″ S ____________________ 185° 24′ 37″ E ____________________ 65° 77′ 42″ W ____________________ 40° 50″ 21′ S ____________________ 14. What is the latitude and longitude of Chicago, IL? 15. What large city in Europe has a similar latitude to that of Chicago (there are a few correct answers) and what is this city’s latitude and longitude?? 16. What large city in Asia has a similar latitude to that of Chicago and what is this city’s latitude and longitude? Note for this question that not all coordinate have the minutes or seconds stated- they are only needed if they are not 0. So these only include minutes, not seconds, which can help to find these locations. Use a map to find these locations. 17. Below are some geographic grid coordinates for selected cities of the world. Examine an atlas and identify each city. 34° 03′ N, 118 ° 15′ W ____________________ 34 ° 20′ S, 58 ° 30′ W ____________________ 52° 21′ N, 4 ° 52′ E ____________________ 61 ° 12’N, 149 ° 48′ W ____________________ For these last few questions just make sure to use a map and maybe draw out exactly where you start and end. This is basically routing on a map, how to get from A to B. If you have a specific coordinate to start at, how far do you go to get to the next coordinate? Drawing this out helps for some. 18. If you are located at 65°N and 135°E, what’s your new longitude if you move due east through an angular distance of 105°? Choose One 19. If you are located at 65°N and 35°E, what’s your new latitude if you move south through an angular distance of 80°? Choose One 20. If you are located at 25°S and 170°W, what’s your new latitude and longitude if you move due north an angular distance of 20° and you move due west by 120°? Choose One
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