Map Projections Quiz

Geographic Coordinate System

• Both longitude and latitude have 3 components: degrees, minutes, and seconds.

Conversion Factors

• 1 degree is equal to 60 minutes for both longitude and latitude.
• 1 minute is equal to 60 seconds for both longitude and latitude.

National Geographic Society Coordinates

• The latitude of the National Geographic Society is 38.8953° in decimal form.
• The longitude of the National Geographic Society is -77.0365° in decimal form.

Coordinate Plane Projection

• The Mercator projection is used to transfer longitude and latitude onto an x-y coordinate plane.
• On the Cartesian coordinate plane, longitude is represented on the x-axis and latitude is represented on the y-axis.
• The Cartesian coordinate plane projection of the National Geographic Society is (x, y) = (-77.0365, 38.8953).

Purpose and Function

• The purpose of the geographic coordinate system is to provide a unique set of coordinates to identify any location on the Earth's surface.
• Latitude measures the distance north or south of the equator, ranging from 0° to 90° in both directions.
• Longitude indicates the distance east or west of the Prime Meridian, ranging from 0° to 180° in both directions.

Map Projection Challenges

• It is impossible to create a perfectly flat map of the earth without gaps or tears because the Earth is a sphere, and a sphere cannot be projected onto a flat surface without distortion.

Geographic Coordinate System Properties

• The maximum value for longitude is 180°.
• The equator represents 0° latitude.
• The geographic coordinate system accounts for the curvature of the earth by using a 3D coordinate system to define locations on the Earth's surface.