Using Latitude and Longitude - Lesson 3
How do I use latitude and longitude?
If someone asked you the location of the local town bank, you may say "It is on the corner of Main and Third streets." Latitude and longitude are like imaginary streets on the earth.
It is customary to give the latitude of a place first, and the longitude second. For example, you would say "35 degrees north, 77 degrees west". This eliminates the need to say the words latitude and longitude. Make sure that you give a direction with the number. If you simply say "66 degrees latitude", there are two of them - one in the north and one in the south.
To
find a
latitude line such as 60 degrees north latitude, you must do
three
things:
1. Go to your starting line (the
Equator).
2. Determine which direction you must go (north or south).
3. Determine the distance in degrees you must go
(60).
This will give the location of one of your streets.
To
find a
longitude line such as 40 degrees east longitude, you must
do three
things:
1. Go to your starting line (the Prime
Meridian).
2. Determine which direction you must go (east or west).
3. Determine the distance in degrees you must go
(40).
This will give the location of one of your second street.
If you find the intersection of these two imaginary streets, you have found the exact (absolute) location of a particular place on the earth's surface (shown by the red "X" on the map below.
Important: The Equator is neither North nor South of the starting line, so it is simply 0º latitude (no direction needed). The Prime Meridian would be 0º longitude (no direction needed). Notice this on the two diagrams.
Try some skill building exercises by clicking on the spinning globe below
Home | Instructions | Previous Lesson | Next Lesson