Cities Find the distance in kilometers between each pair of...

Cities Find the distance in kilometers between each pair of cities, assuming they lie on the same north-south line.
Panama City, Panama, $9^{\circ} \mathrm{N}$, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, $40^{\circ} \mathrm{N}$

Key Concepts

Spherical Earth Assumption

For many calculations, the Earth is assumed to be a perfect sphere, which simplifies the process of converting between angular measurements and linear distances. Although the Earth is actually an oblate spheroid, the spherical model provides sufficiently accurate estimates for many practical purposes, especially when calculating distances along a single meridian.

Meridional Distance

When two points lie on the same north-south line (i.e., along the same longitude), the distance between them can be determined by finding the difference in their latitudes and then multiplying by the distance per degree. This method simplifies the calculation by considering only the meridional (north-south) component.

Degree-to-Distance Conversion

The conversion from degrees of latitude to distance relies on the fact that each degree of latitude corresponds to a nearly constant distance on Earth's surface—typically about 111 kilometers. This constant is derived from the Earth's circumference and provides a straightforward way to convert angular differences into linear distances.

Latitude

Latitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the north–south position of a point on the Earth's surface relative to the equator. It is measured in degrees, and knowing a location's latitude is essential for determining its position and for distance calculations along the north-south direction.

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