Do Now:

Using the

map, where

is this

location?

AIM: What are Latitude and Longitude?

Note Pack #6

The shape of the Earth

• The Earth is spherical in shape.

• Unlike a map which has edges, a sphere

has no beginning or end. It is continuous.

How can you locate

something on the Earth?• Because the Earth is

so large, imaginary

lines have been

made to divide the

Earth into smaller

pieces.

• These smaller pieces

of Earth make it

easier to locate

specific places

anywhere on the

planet.

Latitude Lines

•Latitude lines are

imaginary lines that

run east/west.

•They divide the Earth

into Northern and

Southern

Hemispheres

Facts about Latitude Lines•Latitude lines never

touch each other. They

are parallel to each other.

•They are separated by

increments of 10

degrees.

•The equator is the

largest Latitude.

•Except for the Equator,

all Latitudes has an equal

but opposite latitude. Ex-

10o N latitude has an

opposite 10o S latitude.

Latitude

North Pole

South Pole

Lines of

latitude are

numbered

from 0° at

the equator

to 90° N.L.

at the North

Pole.

Lines of latitude are numbered from 0° at the equator to 90° S.L. at the South Pole.

][

90 80

7060

50

40

20

30

10

90

80

70

60

50

40

20

10

30

Latitude (cont)

The North Pole

is at 90° N

The South Pole

is at 90° S

The equator

is at 0°

latitude. It

is neither

north nor

south. It is

at the center

between

north and

south.

40° N is the 40°

line of latitude

north of the

equator.

40° S is the 40°

line of latitude

south of the

equator.

Longitude Lines

•Longitude lines are

imaginary lines that

run North / South.

•They divide the earth

into Eastern and

Western Hemispheres

Facts about Longitude Lines•Latitude lines cross each other

at the North and South poles.

•They are separated by

increments of 10 or 15 degrees.

•There are 2 special longitudes

(The Prime Meridian and

International Date Line)

•Except for the Prime Meridian

and International Date Line, all

Longitudes has an equal but

opposite latitude. Ex- 10o E

longitude has an opposite 10o W

longitude

Longitude

Lines of longitude begin

at the Prime Meridian.

60° W is the

60° line of

longitude west

of the Prime

Meridian.

The Prime Meridian is located at 0°. It is neither east or west

60° E is the

60° line of

longitude

east of the

Prime

Meridian.

W E

Longitude

Lines of longitude are numbered east from the

Prime Meridian to the 180° line and west from

the Prime Meridian to the 180° line.

PRIME MERIDIAN

West L

on

gitu

de

East L

on

gitu

de

180°N

EW

S

North Pole

Prime Meridian

The Prime Meridian (0°) and the 180° line split the

earth into the Western Hemisphere and Eastern

Hemisphere.

Prime Meridian

Western

HemisphereEastern Hemisphere

Places located east of the Prime Meridian have an east longitude (E) address. Places located west of the Prime Meridian have a west longitude (W) address.

INTERNATIONAL DATE LINE

180°• SEPARATES 2 CALENDAR DAYS.

America to Asia – gain a day

Asia to America – lose a day

•By combining latitude and longitude, any

location can be pinpointed

How do Latitude and Longitude work

together

A location’s coordinates

(____° N or S, ____ ° E or W)

ApplicationN

W E

S

North America is in the Northern Hemisphere because it is north of the Equator. North America is in the Western Hemisphere because it is west of the Prime Meridian.

Fractions of a Degree• 1 degree = 60 minutes or 1 minute is 1/60th of a degree

• Use minutes if location is not directly on the latitude/longitude line

• Written ----- Degree/minute = XX° xx’ compass direction

30’ is half-way

between degrees

LONGITUDE AND TIME

• The world rotates (spins) 360° in 24 hours.

360° / 24 hours = 15° per hour

• The world has 24 time zones, each l5°

apart.

THERE IS A 1 HOUR TIME

DIFFERENCE FOR EVERY 15° OF

LONGITUDE

Greenwich, England is the logical

starting point for time zones• The world rotates west to east

(counterclockwise), time zones to the east

are ahead of the those time zones to the

west