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The equator is a great circle because its center is at the center of the Earth.
That's not true for any other parallel of latitude.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
eQuator forms a great circle because it is a circle created by the intersection of a sphere and a plane that passes through the center of the sphere. The equator of the Earth, for example, is a great circle because it divides the Earth into two equal halves. The shortest path between any two points on a great circle is along the circle itself.
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Why diametrically opposite lines of longitude and equator are called great circles?
A 'great circle' is any circle on the surface of a sphere that has its center at the center of the sphere. The equator is the only parallel of latitude that's a great circle. Every meridian of constant longitude is a semi-circle, and together with the one directly opposite it, they form a great circle. The shortest distance between two points on a sphere is the piece of the great circle through them.
Why is the equator the only parallel that is a great circle?
It is a circle because, the earth is a circle, and the equator stretches all the way around the earth.
Which is longer- the equator or the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn?
tropic of cancer
What are the Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle compared to the Equator?
The Arctic Circle is north of the Equator; the Antarctic Circle is south of the Equator.
When you move away from the equator where do meridians go?
Meridians converge at the poles and intersect the equator at 90 degrees. They are all great circle lines called lines of longitude. The equator is a line of latitude and the only line of latitude that is a great circle line. As you move away from the equator the lines of latitude describe smaller and smaller circles round the planet as you approach the poles.
A synonym for equator?
Great circle or circle
Does 90 degree west and 90 degree east form a great circle?
No. You have to cross 360 degrees of meridian for a great circle, so 180 degrees East plus 180 degrees West around the equator will form a great circle.
Why is the equator the great circle?
It is a circle because, the earth is a circle, and the equator stretches all the way around the earth.
Why diametrically opposite lines of longitude and equator are called great circles?
A 'great circle' is any circle on the surface of a sphere that has its center at the center of the sphere. The equator is the only parallel of latitude that's a great circle. Every meridian of constant longitude is a semi-circle, and together with the one directly opposite it, they form a great circle. The shortest distance between two points on a sphere is the piece of the great circle through them.
Why is the equator the only parallel that is a great circle?
It is a circle because, the earth is a circle, and the equator stretches all the way around the earth.
What is the only line of latitude that is the great circle?
The equator .
Is the Tropic of Cancer a great circle?
No; neither of the tropics is a great circle. The only line of latitude that is a great circle is the equator. The arctic and antarctic circles are not great circles, either.
Is the equator the only line of latitude that is a great circle?
Yes
Is arctic circle a great circle?
No. Any great circle on the earth has a circumference of about 24,000 miles. The circumference of the Arctic Circle (and the Antarctic circle too) is about 9,945 miles. Imagine circles around the North Pole. The closer to the pole the circle is, the smaller it is. If you were right there at the North Pole, you could walk a 10-foot circle around it. The Arctic Circle is a circle around the pole, but about 1,570 miles south of it. The only circle around the pole that's a great circle is the Equator.
What is the longest line on the earth?
Any great circle (the best known great circle is the equator) which are about 24,901 miles long.
Which is longer- the equator or the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn?
tropic of cancer
The great circle at zero degrees latitude is known by what name?
The Equator
