Determine the great circle initial course...

Question 1 / 2707066636eea28f7522a1c51b0d5

Question 1 of 2707066636eea28f7522a1c51b0d5

Determine the great circle initial course from LAT 29° 46.0' S, LONG 30° 26.0' E to LAT 31° 52.0' S, LONG 115° 22.0' E.

Question 1 of 27070

Determine the great circle initial course from LAT 29° 46.0' S, LONG 30° 26.0' E to LAT 31° 52.0' S, LONG 115° 22.0' E.

🔍 Key Concepts

• Great-circle sailing vs. rhumb line (Mercator) sailing • Using vertex latitude or spherical trigonometry to find the initial course • Effect of same hemisphere and similar longitudes on the expected direction of initial course

💭 Think About

• First, picture both positions on a globe: are you going mostly east–west or north–south, and in which hemisphere? What general quadrant (NE, SE, SW, NW) should the initial course lie in? • For great-circle tracks in mid-latitudes of the same hemisphere, does the initial course usually head slightly toward the pole or toward the equator before curving? Apply that idea to the Southern Hemisphere in this case. • Compare the longitudes: you are going from about 30°E to 115°E. Does the shortest path require you to head generally eastward or westward at the start?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify which answers are consistent with the correct quadrant from departure to destination (consider S/N and E/W changes). • Check which options make sense for a great-circle initial course in the Southern Hemisphere (think: does the track initially bend poleward or equatorward?). • Eliminate any option that would imply starting out in a direction that clearly increases your distance, given the relative positions of the two points.

Question 1 of 27070

Determine the great circle initial course from LAT 29° 46.0' S, LONG 30° 26.0' E to LAT 31° 52.0' S, LONG 115° 22.0' E.

121° T

113° T

117° T

074° T

Loading interactive features...

Question 1 / 2707066636eea28f7522a1c51b0d5

Question 1 of 2707066636eea28f7522a1c51b0d5

Determine the great circle initial course from LAT 29° 46.0' S, LONG 30° 26.0' E to LAT 31° 52.0' S, LONG 115° 22.0' E.

Back

Question 1 of 27070

Determine the great circle initial course from LAT 29° 46.0' S, LONG 30° 26.0' E to LAT 31° 52.0' S, LONG 115° 22.0' E.