LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE

FOR YOUR NOTEBOOK:

Lesson 1:  Latitude and Longitude 1

Why determine this?  It's the universal way of locating anything.  It's used by all methods of transportation as well as GPS and Satellite Technology.

     1.  Prime Meridian - The vertical line running from the north pole to the south pole of Earth.  The selected              0° line (the prime meridian) crosses through Greenwich, England.                              

     2.  Anti-Meridian - The vertical line running from the north pole to the south pole of Earth.  The selected                180° line (the anti-meridian) crosses through the Pacific Ocean.  (Opposite to the Prime Meridian.                      Picture "Prime and Anti" to be halves of the imaginary circle cut through the Earth from North to South.

     3.  Equator - Imaginary line cutting the Earth in half, perpendicular to the Prime Meridian and Anti-                          meridian.  It is considered horizontal and it crosses through places like Equador (interesting if you                      replace the "d" with a "t."), Brazil, Indonesia, Uganda, and Colombia.  

     4.  Latitude - An angular measurement of an object's distance, North or South of the Equator.

     5.  Longitude - An angular measurement of an objects distance, East or West of the Prime Meridian.

     6.  Coordinates - an object's location in angular reference from the prime meridian and equator, to the                  center of the Earth, to the object.  Example:  Quakertown:  40.4418° N, 75.3416° W

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Steps to writing Coordinates:

     1.  Latitude:  Determine if the entity is North or South of the equator.  Write N for North or S for South.                  Example:  N

     2.  Latitude - Measure the angle (degrees) from the equator to the entity.  Write the degrees next to the                Direction letter.  Example: 40° N

     3.  Comma - Place a comma after the Latitude Direction.  Example:  40° N,  

     4.  Longitude - Determine if the entity is East or West of the Prime Meridian.  Write E for East or W for                    West.  Example:  40° N,    W

     5.  Longitude - Measure the angle (degrees) from the Prime Meridian to the entity.  Write the degrees next            to the Direction letter.  Example: 40° N, 75° W

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