What is the difference between geographic midpoint and the midpoint calculated by halving the distance between two cities?
Also, is Georaphic midpoint significantly different that the average longitutdes and latitutdes of two different locations?
A geographic midpoint is somewhere along a great circle between two cities. The distance to that point will be half the total distance.
The location of the geographic midpoint can be much difference than the average latitude and longitude, if the points are far apart compared to the radius of the Earth. For example, between Las Vegas and Tehran, Iran, the Geographic midpoint is the North Pole.
The geographic midpoint between two cities refers to the exact point that lies at an equal distance from both cities. This point is determined by considering the curvature of the Earth's surface and the shortest route along the Earth's surface. To find the geographic midpoint, we need to use the geographical coordinates (latitude and longitude) of the two cities.
On the other hand, the midpoint calculated by halving the distance between two cities is a simpler approximation method. It assumes a straight line between the two cities, divides that line by half, and locates the point along that line as the midpoint. This method does not take into account the Earth's curvature and the complexities of geography.
The difference between the geographic midpoint and the midpoint calculated by halving the distance is that the first method provides a more accurate and realistic result, considering the actual shape of the Earth. The second method, although simpler, may not accurately represent the true midpoint, especially for longer distances between cities.
Now, regarding the comparison of the geographic midpoint with the average longitudes and latitudes of two different locations, there are notable differences. The geographic midpoint represents the precise location that is equidistant from the two cities on the Earth's surface, while the average latitudes and longitudes simply provide the numerical average values of the coordinates of the two cities.
The average longitudes and latitudes do not consider the Earth's curvature or the actual geographical features. They only provide a rough estimation of the location that lies in the middle, based on mathematical averaging. Hence, the geographic midpoint is significantly different from the average longitudes and latitudes.
To sum up, the geographic midpoint provides a more accurate representation of the physical midpoint between two cities, while the midpoint calculated by halving the distance and the average longitudes and latitudes are simpler approximations that do not consider the actual shape of the Earth or specific geographical characteristics.