What is longitude in simple terms?

What is longitude in simple terms?

Longitude is the measurement east or west of the prime meridian. Longitude is measured by imaginary lines that run around the Earth vertically (up and down) and meet at the North and South Poles. These lines are known as meridians. The distance around the Earth measures 360 degrees.

What are three facts about longitude?

Facts about Lines of Longitude–Are known as meridians. –Run in a north-south direction. –Measure distance east or west of the prime meridian. –Are farthest apart at the equator and meet at the poles.

How do you explain latitude and longitude?

Both longitude and latitude are angles measured with the center of the earth as an origin. A longitude is an angle from the prime merdian, measured to the east (longitudes to the west are negative). Latitudes measure an angle up from the equator (latitudes to the south are negative).

What is an example of longitude?

Longitude is the angular distance of a place east or west of the meridian at Greenwich, England. For example, New York and Miami have almost exactly the same longitudes: around 80 degrees west. Berlin on the other hand has a longitude of 13 degrees east. Beijing, China, has a longitude of 116 degrees east.

Why it is called longitude?

Longitude is given as an angular measurement ranging from 0° at the Prime Meridian to +180° eastward and −180° westward. The Greek letter λ (lambda) is used to denote the location of a place on Earth east or west of the Prime Meridian.

What is a fun way to teach latitude and longitude?

Latitude & Longitude: Which is Which?

  1. Use a rhyme to help you remember. Rhymes such as “The flat lines are the lat lines” or “The lines of latitude are lines of flat-itude!” might help students remember which is which.
  2. Think of a ladder.
  3. When you say the word “longitude” your mouth opens “tall”/up and down.

What are the 2 main lines of longitude?

1. Prime Meridian = Longitude 0o (Greenwich Meridian). 2. International Date Line (Longitude 180o).

How do you teach students latitude and longitude?

Have students look at the U.S. map and find the lines running across and up and down the page. Tell students that the lines running across the page are lines of latitude, and the lines running up and down the page are lines of longitude. Latitude runs 0–90° north and south. Longitude runs 0–180° east and west.

What are some examples of latitude?

Examples of important latitude lines/parallels include:

  • Equator: 0 degrees of latitude.
  • Arctic Circle: is 66.5 degrees north.
  • Antarctic Circle: 66.5 degrees south.
  • Tropic of Capricorn: 23.4 degrees south.
  • Tropic of Cancer: 23.4 degrees north.

What are longitudes called?

Longitudes are known as meridians because in Geographical sense, meridians are great circles which are not parallel to each other but intersect each other at the North and the South Poles.

What is the definition of latitude kids?

Kids Definition of latitude. 1 : the distance north or south of the equator measured in degrees. 2 : a region marked by its distance north or south of the equator cold latitudes.

Is longitude horizontal or vertical?

Latitude is vertical (from south to north), Longitude is horizontal (from west to east) So Latitude, Longitude is like Y,X Latitude ranges vertically from -90 (south pole) to +90 ( north pole ). 0 is the (horizontal) equator that separates the southern and northern hemisphere .

What is the definition of longitude?

Definition of longitude. 1a : angular distance measured on a great circle of reference from the intersection of the adopted zero meridian with this reference circle to the similar intersection of the meridian passing through the object.

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