How do you calculate the distance an object has traveled?

Answer 1

Good question.

Spherical trigonometry.

Use either the Haversine formula or the spherical law of cosines:

a = distance in degrees

b = 90 - latitude of point 1

c = 90 - latitude of point 2

l = longitude of point 1 - longitude of point 2

Cos(a) = Cos(b)Cos(c) + Sin(b)Sin(c)Sin(l)

d = circumference of Earth * a / 360

Note:

1) the Haversine formula is more accurate than the formula above, because that formula is ill-conditioned

2) this is for great-circle distances (distances along a curved path), which are actually shorter than straight-line distances.

3) this assumes a spherical Earth. Actually, the Earth is an oblate ellipsoid, so the distance to the center of the Earth at the equator is greater than at the poles. However, it is approximately spherical, so a spherical model of Earth is good enough for simple calculations.

4) both formulas are completely unusable for situations where each point given is on the other side of the world from the other.

Answer 2

Use the Pythagorean theorem. A and B would be the difference in the X and Y coordinates, respectively. Solve for C and that's your distance.

Pythagorean theorem:

(A squared) + (B squared) = (C squared)

Answer 3

Latitude and longitude are coordinates designed to specify position (location)

very precisely, not necessarily distance between points. There are certainly

mathematical methods for doing this, but they're loaded with spherical trigonometry,

and trust us, they're more complex than you want to deal with.

Answer 4

You would look at the map's scale at the bottom of the map. The scale is typically one-inch equals (x number of miles as stated on the map). You take a ruler and lay it from one point to the second point (example: Philadelphia PA to Pittsburgh PA). See how many inches it is on the ruler. Then you multiply number of inches by the number of miles stated on the scale. As you get older, you won't need a ruler; you just judge how many inches and do the multiplication.

Note: For 2 points that are not on a direct line, you would pick additional points in between and measure those separately, then add the inches together and multiply by the miles on the scale.

Answer 5

Distance is determined by measuring the length between the start and end point.

For example, short distances can be measured in feet, yards or metres.

Longer distances would be measured in miles or kilometres.

Answer 6

To find the distance between two coordinates you must multiply the time it takes to get between them by the speed at which you traveled.

Answer 7

By using a thread or scale By using a thread or scale

Answer 8

There are several different distance formulas. The best one to choose

depends on what information you have.

Answer 9

You take note of where it started and where it ended up, and measure the distance between them.

Answer 10

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