Using Latitude and Longitude - Lesson 4
When would I ever use latitude and longitude?
In real life, there are several instances where you would need to know how to find latitude and longitude.
For example, when weather forecasters are tracking hurricanes, they note the absolute location on a periodic basis to see the path of the storm and try to predict the future path based partially on these findings.
Another example would be in the military. Suppose you were at war and you wanted to blow up an ammunition factory, but not the hospital nearby. Using minutes and seconds of latitude and longitude, you can launch a missle from hundreds of miles away and strike only that particular bulding.
If you wanted to license a CB base station, or even license 5-mile range walkie talkies, you need to provide the latitude and longitude of your home to the Federal Communications Commission to get such a license.
In an emergency situation, like a plane crash or a boat sinking, you can relay your coordinates of latitude and longitude to assist rescue teams when time may be very important. If you are in the middle of an ocean, there are no landmarks to use, so you had better know your latitude and longitude.
With
today's GPS (Global Positioning Systems) and a satellite
network above the earth, locating your latitude and
longitude is much easier than it has been in the past. Click
on the picture of the globe below for a special surprise bonus
game!
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