What is the purpose of lines of longitude?

Longitude is a measurement of location east or west of the prime meridian at Greenwich, the specially designated imaginary north-south line that passes through both geographic poles and Greenwich, London.

What is the function of lines of latitude?

Lines of constant latitude, or parallels, run east–west as circles parallel to the equator. Latitude is used together with longitude to specify the precise location of features on the surface of the Earth.

What are the lines of latitude and longitude?

The lines running North to South are called “Meridians” or “lines of longitude” (Figure 2), while the lines running East to West are called “Parallels” or “lines of latitude” (Figure 3). Figure 2. Meridians or “Lines of Longitude” and degree readings for longitudes in increments of 30 degrees.

What is latitude and longitude meaning?

Latitude and longitude are angles that uniquely define points on a sphere. Latitudes of +90 and -90 degrees correspond to the north and south geographic poles on the earth, respectively. Longitude is defined in terms of meridians, which are half-circles running from pole to pole.

What do latitude lines mean?

Latitude is the measurement of distance north or south of the Equator. It is measured with 180 imaginary lines that form circles around the Earth east-west, parallel to the Equator. These lines are known as parallels. A circle of latitude is an imaginary ring linking all points sharing a parallel.

What are latitude lines?

Lines of latitude, also called parallels, are imaginary lines that divide the Earth. They run east to west, but measure your distance north or south. The equator is the most well known parallel. At 0 degrees latitude, it equally divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres.

How do you explain latitude and longitude?

Latitude and longitude are a system of lines used to describe the location of any place on Earth. Lines of latitude run in an east-west direction across Earth. Lines of longitude run in a north-south direction. Although these are only imaginary lines, they appear on maps and globes as if they actually existed.

Why is latitude and longitude important kids?

How do you use latitude and longitude lines?

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.

What are the lines of longitude?

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. Each meridian measures one arcdegree of longitude.

What are the 2 important lines of longitude?

Some Important Longitudes include: 1. Prime Meridian = Longitude 0o (Greenwich Meridian). 2. International Date Line (Longitude 180o).

What are the two major lines of longitude?

Visible on a globe or map of the Earth, points on latitudes that cross over longitude lines mark specific locations on the Earth. The five major latitude lines are the equator, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, and the Arctic and Antarctic Circles.

What is the starting line of longitude?

Longitude • Lines of longitude, or meridians, circle the earth from Pole to Pole. These lines measure distances east or west of the starting line, which is at 0° longitude and is called the Prime Meridian . The Prime Meridian runs through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich , England.

How do you measure longitude?

Longitude is a geographic coordinate that measures a point’s distance east or west from the Prime Meridian. Longitude is measured in degrees, with the Prime Meridian beginning at 0º, eastern coordinates going up to +180º and western coordinates reaching up to -180º. The lines that run vertically through a map of the world are the lines of longitude.

Does longitude go east to West?

Longitude is the angle east or west around the earth, just like latitude is the angle north and south. Longitude lines are called meridians. For latitudes, we have two fixed points – the north and south poles – that we use as end points. But, going around the earth, there is no start or stop, it just keeps spinning and spinning.