X and Y both lie on the equator and their longitude differ by 25°. Find the distance between X and Y along the equator, to the nearest unit
Since X and Y both lie on the equator, their latitude is 0°. We can use the formula:
distance = radius of Earth x angle (in radians) x cos(latitude)
where the radius of the Earth is approximately 6,371 km.
The angle between X and Y can be calculated as follows:
angle = (longitude of Y - longitude of X) x (pi/180)
= 25 x (pi/180)
= 0.4363 radians
cos(0°) is equal to 1, so we can simplify the formula to:
distance = radius of Earth x angle (in radians)
= 6,371 km x 0.4363
= 2,778 km (rounded to the nearest unit)
Therefore, the distance between point X and Y along the equator is approximately 2,778 km.
To find the distance between X and Y along the equator, we need to determine the arc length between the two longitudes.
The equator is a circle with a circumference of approximately 40,075 km. Since the two longitudes differ by 25°, we can calculate the distance between them using the formula:
Arc Length = Circumference * (|Longitude1 - Longitude2| / 360°)
Arc Length = 40,075 km * (25° / 360°) ≈ 2,767 km
Therefore, the distance between X and Y along the equator is approximately 2,767 km.