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Say you're planning a plane flight from Chicago, Illinois to Tokyo, Japan.
If you use a flat map, your shortest distance may require a fuel stop, or two. If you use the great circle, you might be able to make it in one flight, and also save several hours of flight time.
Navigation, fuel conservation, living in a 3D world.
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Does every great circle of a sphere have to pass through its center?
Let's be very careful here: The "great circle" of a sphere is a circle that lies on the surface ofthe sphere, so there's no way the great circle can "pass through" the sphere's center.However, in order for the circle to be a "great circle", its center must be the center of the sphere.
Can anyone explain the great circle formula in layman terms?
Yes the great circle formula is the same formula for any other circle.
What is the difference between a small circle and a great circle?
A small circle is a simple circle on a two dimensional plane. The great circle is the circle around a sphere that is on the plane that intersects with the center of the sphere. It is the reason that on a flat map the paths of planes seem to curve to go to and from Europe and the North American continent.
What line that goes from one side of the circle to the other?
In geometry it is called the "Great Circle".
Why are great-circle paths commonly used in navigation?
Because on a globe, a great-circle route is the shortest route between two places.
Is the Tropic of Cancer a great circle?
No; neither of the tropics is a great circle. The only line of latitude that is a great circle is the equator. The arctic and antarctic circles are not great circles, either.
A synonym for equator?
Great circle or circle
Is the center of a great circle also the center of a small circle?
No. Every circle on the sphere whose center is also the center of the sphere is a great circle. If the circle's center is not also the center of the sphere, then the circle is a small circle.
Does every great circle of a sphere have to pass through its center?
Let's be very careful here: The "great circle" of a sphere is a circle that lies on the surface ofthe sphere, so there's no way the great circle can "pass through" the sphere's center.However, in order for the circle to be a "great circle", its center must be the center of the sphere.
What is difference between great circle and small circle?
A great circle is a circle on the surface of a sphere that has the same center as the sphere, while a small circle does not share the same center as the sphere. Great circles have the largest circumference of all circles on a sphere, whereas small circles have smaller circumferences. The equator is an example of a great circle on Earth, while lines of latitude other than the equator are examples of small circles.
What is difference between great circle and circle?
A great circle lies in the plane that includes the center of the Earth. The plane of a small circle doesn't include the center of the Earth.
What is called a great circle?
A great circle is any circle on the surface of a sphere whose center is at the center of the sphere. The shortest distance between two points on the surface of a sphere is a part of the great circle that passes through them.
Can anyone explain the great circle formula in layman terms?
Yes the great circle formula is the same formula for any other circle.
Is arctic circle a great circle?
No. Any great circle on the earth has a circumference of about 24,000 miles. The circumference of the Arctic Circle (and the Antarctic circle too) is about 9,945 miles. Imagine circles around the North Pole. The closer to the pole the circle is, the smaller it is. If you were right there at the North Pole, you could walk a 10-foot circle around it. The Arctic Circle is a circle around the pole, but about 1,570 miles south of it. The only circle around the pole that's a great circle is the Equator.
What line of longitude forms a great circle?
Every line of longitude forms a great circle.
What is a great cicle?
Much bigger and better than a regular circle... But seriously, a great circle on a sphere is a circle that runs along the surface of that sphere and cuts it into two equal halves. It is the largest circle that can be drawn on a given sphere. The center of any great circle is the center of the sphere.
How does eQuator form a great circle?
eQuator forms a great circle because it is a circle created by the intersection of a sphere and a plane that passes through the center of the sphere. The equator of the Earth, for example, is a great circle because it divides the Earth into two equal halves. The shortest path between any two points on a great circle is along the circle itself.
