Chapter 4.1, Problem 70E

Solution

To identify: The distance between Detroit and Atlanta them in nautical miles. assume that the two cities have the same longitude.

The distance between Detroit and Atlanta 515 nautical miles

Given information

The table is:

  

Explanation:

Consider the given information from the table, longitude position of Detroit is $44°59\text{'}$ and longitude position of Atlanta is $29°57\text{'}$

Hence the difference in longitude between the cities Detroit and Atlanta is

  $42°\text{ 20'}-33°45\text{'}$ .

Subtract the degrees from degrees and minutes from minutes with the subtraction of minutes first to obtain: $42°\text{ 20'}-33°45\text{'}=8°35\text{'}$ .

Thus, the difference in longitude between the cities Minneapolis and New Orleans is $8°35\text{'}$ .

Since $1°=60\text{'}$ is 60 minutes so, $8°35\text{'}=515$ minutes of arc. Since 1 minute of arc of earth’s circumference is 1 nautical mile, so 515 minutes of arc is 515 nautical miles.