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Las Vegas is located at 36.1 degree north latitude and 115.2 degree west longitu

ID: 3143430 • Letter: L

Question

Las Vegas is located at 36.1 degree north latitude and 115.2 degree west longitude. Paris, France is located at 48.9 degree north latitude and 2.3 degree east longitude. How long is the great circle arc between these two cities? That is, what is the length of the shortest path along the surface of the Earth that joins these two cities? The circumference of the Earth is 40,000 km. A plane flies from Las Vegas to Paris, France, following the shortest path. What is the closest the plane gets to the North pole? (Give an answer in terms of latitude.)

Explanation / Answer

Las Vegas - 36.1 degrees N - latitude
115.2 degrees W - longitude
Paris - 48.9 degrees N - latitude
2.3 degrees E - longitude

Calculating the shortest path from Las Vegas to Paris using 40,000 km as Earth's circumference gives 8726 km.

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