What are the latitude and longitude of the point on the Earth that is opposite Beijing, China (40 N, 116 E) latitude______ longitude______
What are the latitude and longitude of the point on the Earth that is opposite Beijing, China (40 N, 116 E)
latitude______
longitude______
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The point on Earth opposite Beijing, China (40° N, 116° E) is known as its antipodal point. To calculate the coordinates of the antipodal point, we can apply the following principles:
- Latitude: The antipodal latitude is simply the negative of the original latitude. This is because Earth’s latitude is measured from the equator (0° latitude), and at the antipode, you would be the same distance from the equator but in the opposite hemisphere.
- Beijing is at 40° N, so its antipodal latitude would be 40° S.
- Longitude: The antipodal longitude is calculated by subtracting the original longitude from 180° and changing the direction (East becomes West, and vice versa).
- Beijing is at 116° E. Subtracting 116° from 180° gives us 64° W, so the antipodal longitude is 64° W.
Thus, the antipodal coordinates of Beijing (40° N, 116° E) are:
- Latitude: 40° S
- Longitude: 64° W
Explanation:
The concept of antipodes refers to two points on Earth that are diametrically opposite each other. If you imagine a straight line passing through the Earth’s center connecting these two points, it would be the shortest path between them. The geographic coordinate system (latitude and longitude) is useful for locating points on Earth’s surface, and finding antipodal points involves simple transformations of those coordinates.
To visualize it: the antipodal point of Beijing would lie in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the equator and far to the west of the prime meridian, roughly west of the coast of South America.
I’ll generate a visual to help illustrate this relationship between Beijing and its antipodal point.
Here is a map showing the antipodal point of Beijing, China. As you can see, the antipodal point is located in the South Pacific Ocean near 40° S, 64° W, opposite Beijing’s location at 40° N, 116° E. This should help you visualize the relationship between these two points on the Earth’s surface.
