What defines a great circle?

What defines a great circle?

Question 1 of 2707066636ee928f7522a1c51952b

What defines a great circle?

Question 1 of 27070

Study area:

Study area:

Q

What defines a great circle?

No Illustration

This question does not have an illustration

🔍 Key Concepts

• Great circle vs. small circle on a sphere • Relationship between a plane and the center of the sphere • Difference between a rhumb line (loxodrome) and a great circle

💭 Think About

• On a globe, what kind of circle gives you the shortest distance between two points? How is that circle positioned inside the sphere? • If you slice a sphere with a flat plane, when will the resulting circle be the largest possible circle on that sphere? • Which choice is actually describing a rhumb line (loxodrome) instead of a great circle?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which option talks about a plane through the center of the sphere • Eliminate any option that describes a loxodromic (rhumb) curve rather than a great circle • Make sure the definition you pick would give the largest possible circle on the sphere, not the smallest