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Longitude for Dummies

noun

pronunciation: 'lɑndʒɪ,tud

What does Longitude really mean?

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Longitude is a word that we use to talk about how we measure distance on the Earth. You know how we use the grid on a map to find our way around, right? Just like we have lines going up and down to show us how far north or south we are, we also have lines that go from left to right to show us how far east or west we are. These lines are called longitude lines.

Okay, so let's imagine the Earth is like a big orange. When we want to cut an orange into slices, we would need lines going from the top to the bottom, right? Well, that's how longitude lines work! They run from the North Pole to the South Pole, just like those slices. But instead of slices, we call them meridians.

Now, why do we need longitude lines? Well, imagine if you were lost in the middle of the ocean, and you didn't have any GPS or maps. How would you know which way to go to get back to land? That's where longitude comes in! The Earth is divided into 360 degrees in a circle, and longitude allows us to measure how many of those degrees we are from a special line called the Prime Meridian.

The Prime Meridian is like the starting point for longitude. It runs right through Greenwich, a city in England. So, when we say that a place has a certain longitude, we mean that it is a certain number of degrees east or west of Greenwich. For example, if we say a place has a longitude of 30 degrees west, it means that it is 30 degrees to the left of the Prime Meridian when we look at a map.

Longitude is important because it helps us locate places on the Earth's surface, just like you would use longitude and latitude to find a specific spot on a treasure map. It's like a big coordinate system that allows us to pinpoint where something is in the world. And not just that, it also helps us navigate our ships, planes, and even helps scientists study the weather and climate patterns around the world.

So, to wrap it up, longitude is a way to measure how far east or west a place is from the Prime Meridian in Greenwich. It helps us find our way, locate places, and study the Earth. Just remember those imaginary orange slices running from the North Pole to the South Pole, and you'll have a good picture of what longitude is all about!

Revised and Fact checked by Mary Johnson on 2023-10-29 02:53:03

Longitude In a sentece

Learn how to use Longitude inside a sentece

  • The longitude of Los Angeles is about -118 degrees.
  • The longitude of Sydney is around 151 degrees.
  • The longitude of Tokyo is close to 139 degrees.
  • The longitude of Paris is approximately 2 degrees.
  • The longitude of New York City is roughly -74 degrees.

Longitude Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.