Activities

Answer Key for Challenge

Challenge 1 – Working with Geographic Coordinates

Problem 1

• New York City, Statue of Liberty:   74.04465 West     40.6893 North
• Kennedy Space Center:       80.6817 West     28.5235 North
• Golden Gate Bridge:         122 : 28 : 41.9 West    37 : 49 : 7.7 North
• Chaco Canyon Ruins:        107 : 57 : 22.0 West   36:05:53 North

Problem 2

• Latitude 35^o : 28^’ : 15.5^”
• Longitude 115^o : 15^’ : 33.2^”

Problem 3 - Convert all coordinates to decimal degrees to get Washington (38.905o, 77.037o) and Portland (45.544, 122.654). Find the mid-point between the Latitudes:

(38.905+45.544)/2 = 42.225 or 42^o : 13^’ : 30^” North. Find the mid-point between the longitudes: (77.037+122.654)/2 = 99.846 or 99^o : 50^’ : 46^” West. The location of the mid-way station is at (42^o : 13^’ : 30^” North , 99^o : 50^’ : 46^” West ). This is 35 miles south of Ainsworth, Nebraska!

Problem 4

• Convert to decimal degrees and subtract them: 39.84 – 41.12 = 1.28^o.
• A full 360-degree great circle has a circumference of 40,000 km, so 1.28^o corresponds to 40000(1.28/360) = 142 kilometers.

Problem 5

• Convert to decimal degrees and subtract them: 101.71 – 94.64 = 7.07^o.
• 7.07^o corresponds to 7.07 * 86 = 608 kilometers.
• 7.07 x 38 = 269 kilometers or less than half the distance!

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