Five minutes of latitude equals how many nautical miles?

Five minutes of latitude equals how many nautical miles?

• A. 25 NM
• B. 5 NM
• C. 50 NM
• D. 75 NM

Answer: (B)

The concept being tested is how distances relate to latitude measurements in navigation. One minute of latitude corresponds to one nautical mile, and there are sixty minutes in a degree of latitude. So, five minutes of latitude equals five nautical miles. This relationship holds because latitude lines run north–south and are spaced so that their arc length is consistent everywhere on Earth, unlike longitude distances which vary with latitude. For quick context, a nautical mile is defined as 1 minute of latitude, roughly 1.852 kilometers or 1.1508 miles.

The concept being tested is how distances relate to latitude measurements in navigation. One minute of latitude corresponds to one nautical mile, and there are sixty minutes in a degree of latitude. So, five minutes of latitude equals five nautical miles. This relationship holds because latitude lines run north–south and are spaced so that their arc length is consistent everywhere on Earth, unlike longitude distances which vary with latitude. For quick context, a nautical mile is defined as 1 minute of latitude, roughly 1.852 kilometers or 1.1508 miles.