What is the equator and prime meridian for kids?
The Equator separates the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The Equator is at 0° latitude. The Prime Meridian separates the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. The Prime Meridian runs through Greenwich, England and is at 0° longitude.
How do you explain the prime meridian to a child?
The prime meridian is the imaginary line that divides Earth into two equal parts: the Eastern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere. The prime meridian is also used as the basis for the world’s time zones. The prime meridian appears on maps and globes. It is the starting point for the measuring system called longitude.
What is the prime meridian and equator?
The Prime Meridian divides the globe into Eastern and Western hemispheres, just as the equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern hemispheres. The Prime Meridian is at 0 degrees longitude, just as the equator is at 0 degrees latitude.
What is a fun way to teach latitude and longitude?
Latitude & Longitude: Which is Which?
- Use a rhyme to help you remember. Rhymes such as “The flat lines are the lat lines” or “The lines of latitude are lines of flat-itude!” might help students remember which is which.
- Think of a ladder.
- When you say the word “longitude” your mouth opens “tall”/up and down.
How do you explain the Equator to a child?
WHAT IS THE EQUATOR? It is an imaginary line around the Earth that goes exactly midway between the North Pole and the South Pole and divides it into two equal halves, the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.
Why is prime meridian called so?
Greenwich meridian, also called prime meridian, an imaginary line, last established in 1851, that was used to indicate 0° longitude. It passes through Greenwich, a borough of London, and terminates at the North and South poles. Because it indicated 0° longitude, it was also known as the prime meridian.
What is the equator for kids?
What are the five differences between Equator and prime meridian?
The main difference between Equator and Prime Meridian is that Equator is the line circling the Earth halfway between the North and South poles while Prime Meridian is the line that runs through Greenwich, England. The Equator is the imaginary line around the middle of the Earth.
Where do the prime meridian and Equator meet?
Null Island
Null Island is the point on the Earth’s surface at zero degrees latitude and zero degrees longitude ( 0°N 0°E), i.e., where the prime meridian and the equator intersect. Null Island is located in international waters in the Atlantic Ocean, roughly 600 km off the coast of West Africa, in the Gulf of Guinea.
What is on the equator?
The equator passes through 13 countries: Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Sao Tome & Principe, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Maldives, Indonesia and Kiribati.
What is latitude and longitude in simple terms?
Latitude and longitude are a system of lines used to describe the location of any place on Earth. Lines of latitude run in an east-west direction across Earth. Lines of longitude run in a north-south direction. Although these are only imaginary lines, they appear on maps and globes as if they actually existed.
How do I teach my child about the equator?
The Equator is an imaginary line around the center of the Earth, dividing it into the North and South Hemispheres. It is a special line of latitude, located halfway between the North and South Poles. The Earth is slightly wider at the Equator and the force of gravity is slightly less.