To determine how many kilometers correspond to 1 degree of latitude, we can use the formula that relates the circumference of a circle to its radius.
The circumference \(C\) of a circle is given by the formula: \[ C = 2 \pi r \] where \(r\) is the radius. For the Earth, if we assume a radius of 6400 km, we calculate the circumference as follows:
\[ C = 2 \pi \times 6400 , \text{km} \approx 40212.4 , \text{km} \]
Since there are 360 degrees in a circle, to find out how many kilometers correspond to 1 degree of latitude, we divide the total circumference by 360:
\[ \text{Kilometers per degree} = \frac{C}{360} \approx \frac{40212.4 , \text{km}}{360} \approx 111.2 , \text{km} \]
So, 1 degree of latitude is approximately equal to 111.2 kilometers.
To convert this distance into miles, we can use the conversion factor \(1 , \text{km} \approx 0.621371 , \text{miles}\):
\[ \text{Miles per degree} = 111.2 , \text{km} \times 0.621371 \approx 69.0 , \text{miles} \]
In summary:
- 1 degree of latitude is approximately 111.2 kilometers.
- 1 degree of latitude is approximately 69.0 miles.
Feel free to ask if you need any more details or additional calculations!