Assume that the cities lie on the same north-south line and that the radius of the earth is 6400 km.
-Find the latitude of Spokane, WA if Spokane and Jordan Valley, OR, 43.15° N, are 486 km apart.
A)38.8 °N
B)39.5 °N
C)47.5 °N
D)52.46 °N

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The latitude difference between two locations on the same meridian (north-south line) can be calculated by dividing the distance between them by the Earth's circumference (assuming a spherical Earth) and then converting the result into degrees. The Earth's circumference is approximately 2πr, where r is the radius of the Earth. Given r = 6400 km, the circumference is about 2 * π * 6400 = 40,212 km. The distance between Spokane and Jordan Valley is 486 km. The fraction of the Earth's circumference this distance represents is 486 / 40,212. To convert this fraction into degrees, we multiply by 360 (since a full circle is 360 degrees). Thus, the latitude difference is (486 / 40,212) * 360. This calculation gives approximately 4.35 degrees. Since Jordan Valley is at 43.15° N and Spokane is north of Jordan Valley, we add this difference to Jordan Valley's latitude to find Spokane's latitude: 43.15 + 4.35 ≈ 47.5° N.

Assume That the Cities Lie on the Same North-South Line