2007-04-04 17:27:10 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Laughing...
Yes you can use a compass to find latitude and angle elevation.
The question you raise has to do with the amount of irregularity from a perfect sphere.
Keep in mind that the surface of the Earth has a circumference of some 25,000 miles, and the compass you are using has a circumference of what? Maybe six or seven inches at most? So your ability to resolve angles into degrees, minutes, and seconds of angle is rather crude...right? Since the irregularities in the Earth's surface that you mentioned are no more than one or two miles in the 25,000 miles of the Earth's circumference, you're discussing say one twelve thousandth of 360 degrees, or between 1/100 and 3/100 of a degree.
No hand compass that I have seen is that accurate. Most have an accuracy of about 1 1/2 degrees at best, and that varies between magnetic direction and true direction...right? What was the amount of compass correction for your area? Was it 2, 3, 4, or 5 degrees? Far more than the error introduced by Earth's surface irregularities...
Regards,
Zah
2007-04-04 20:10:14 · answer #1 · answered by zahbudar 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The difference between the circumference of the Earth at the Equator compared to the circumference of the Earth measured through the poles is only about 40 miles, whereas the diameters are almost 25,000 miles. That is a tiny and insignificant difference. That it is even mentioned at all is a misleading exaggeration. For most practical purposes it is not enough to effect latitude or longitude measurements of position nor elevation measurements.
2007-04-04 17:54:47 · answer #2 · answered by Bomba 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A compass is not the appropriate instrument for determining latitude or elevation.
2007-04-04 17:31:37 · answer #3 · answered by gebobs 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No: you use a sextant.
2007-04-04 17:31:44 · answer #4 · answered by CLICKHEREx 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋