Latitude and Longitude – The Earth’s Grid
Imagine Earth as a big ball with invisible lines drawn on it to help us figure out where places are:
Latitude
- These are horizontal lines (left to right).
- They measure how far north or south a place is from the Equator (which is 0° latitude).
- The Equator is like Earth’s “waistline.”
- Latitude goes from 0° to 90° North (N) and 0° to 90° South (S).
Think of it like:
- 0° = Equator (middle)
- 90°N = North Pole
- 90°S = South Pole
Longitude
- These are vertical lines (up and down), running from the North Pole to the South Pole.
- They measure how far east or west a place is from the Prime Meridian (which is 0° longitude, going through Greenwich, England).
- Longitude goes from 0° to 180° East (E) and 0° to 180° West (W).
So if you know the latitude and longitude of a place, you can pinpoint its exact location on Earth — like using coordinates on a treasure map!
Time Zones – Why Time is Different Around the World
- Earth rotates 360° in about 24 hours. That means 15° of rotation = 1 hour.
- So, the world is split into 24 time zones, each one about 15° of longitude wide.
- As Earth spins, different parts face the Sun, so it’s morning in one place and night in another.
Example:
- If it’s 12:00 noon in London, it’s already 7:00 PM in Bangkok, Thailand (7 hours ahead).
- This is why we can have different times in different countries at the same moment!
Countries use these time zones so people can have daytime activities when the Sun is out, rather than in the middle of the night.
Summary :
Latitude and longitude are imaginary lines that help us find places on Earth. Latitude lines go sideways (east-west) and tell us how far north or south we are from the equator, while longitude lines go up and down (north-south) and show how far east or west we are from the Prime Meridian. Time zones are created because the Earth rotates, and as it turns, different places face the Sun at different times. So the world is divided into 24 time zones, each roughly 15° apart, so that local time can match the position of the Sun in the sky.
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