Determine the great circle distance and...

Question 1 / 2707066636eea28f7522a1c51b0bb

Question 1 of 2707066636eea28f7522a1c51b0bb

Determine the great circle distance and initial course from LAT 24° 52.0' N, LONG 78° 27.0' W to LAT 47° 19.0' N, LONG 06° 42.0' W.

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Question 1 of 27070

Determine the great circle distance and initial course from LAT 24° 52.0' N, LONG 78° 27.0' W to LAT 47° 19.0' N, LONG 06° 42.0' W.

🔍 Key Concepts

• Great circle sailing formulas for distance and initial course on a sphere • Converting degrees–minutes to decimal degrees before using trigonometric functions • Using the difference of longitude (DLo) correctly, including E/W signs

💭 Think About

• First, think about how to compute the central angle between two positions on the earth using their latitudes and difference of longitude. What trig relationship links those three values? • Once you know the central angle, how do you convert that angular distance in degrees to nautical miles on a great circle? • For the initial course, which trig ratio (sine, cosine, or tangent) would you use that involves the difference of longitude and the two latitudes?

✅ Before You Answer

• Make sure you convert all angles to the same format (either all decimal degrees or all radians) before putting them into formulas. • Check that your computed distance is in reasonable North Atlantic range between the Bahamas and the Bay of Biscay (rough order of 3,000–4,000 NM). • Verify that the initial course makes sense geographically: from about 25°N, 78°W toward 47°N, 6°W should be a northeasterly course (between roughly 040° and 060°T).

Question 1 of 27070

Determine the great circle distance and initial course from LAT 24° 52.0' N, LONG 78° 27.0' W to LAT 47° 19.0' N, LONG 06° 42.0' W.

3389 miles, 042.4° T

3367 miles, 045.0° T

3593 miles, 048.1° T

3457 miles, 053.3° T

Question 1 / 2707066636eea28f7522a1c51b0bb

Question 1 of 2707066636eea28f7522a1c51b0bb

Determine the great circle distance and initial course from LAT 24° 52.0' N, LONG 78° 27.0' W to LAT 47° 19.0' N, LONG 06° 42.0' W.

Back

Question 1 of 27070

Determine the great circle distance and initial course from LAT 24° 52.0' N, LONG 78° 27.0' W to LAT 47° 19.0' N, LONG 06° 42.0' W.