Which of the following latitudes is closest to the equator?
Practice Questions
Q1
Which of the following latitudes is closest to the equator?
10°N
20°S
30°N
40°S
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
Which of the following latitudes is closest to the equator?
Step 1: Understand what the equator is. The equator is an imaginary line that divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, located at 0° latitude.
Step 2: Know that latitudes are measured in degrees north (N) or south (S) of the equator. The closer the latitude is to 0°, the closer it is to the equator.
Step 3: Look at the given latitudes. For example, if the options are 10°N, 20°N, and 5°S, we need to compare their distances from the equator.
Step 4: Convert any southern latitudes to positive values for easier comparison. For example, 5°S is the same as -5° when considering distance from the equator.
Step 5: Compare the absolute values of the latitudes. 10°N is 10 degrees from the equator, 20°N is 20 degrees from the equator, and 5°S is 5 degrees from the equator.
Step 6: Determine which latitude has the smallest distance from the equator. In this case, 5°S is 5 degrees away, and 10°N is 10 degrees away.
Step 7: Conclude that 5°S is closer to the equator than 10°N, but if only considering 10°N and other northern latitudes, then 10°N is the closest.