Which two coordinates express any location on a chart?

Which two coordinates express any location on a chart?

• A. Latitude and longitude
• B. Altitude and longitude
• C. Speed and heading
• D. Distance and bearing

Answer: (A)

To place any point on a chart, you need two numbers that define where that point sits on the Earth’s surface. Those two numbers are latitude and longitude. Latitude measures how far north or south you are from the equator, and longitude measures how far east or west you are from the Prime Meridian. Together, they pin down a unique location anywhere on the globe, and they can be written in degrees, minutes, and seconds or decimal form. For example, 37.7749° N, 122.4194° W specifies a precise spot on a map. Altitude and longitude isn’t sufficient on its own because altitude gives height above sea level, not surface position on the chart. Speed and heading describe motion, not a fixed location. Distance and bearing describe a point relative to a starting point; without that reference, they don’t identify a unique chart position. Latitude and longitude are the standard pair that uniquely locates any location on a chart.

To place any point on a chart, you need two numbers that define where that point sits on the Earth’s surface. Those two numbers are latitude and longitude. Latitude measures how far north or south you are from the equator, and longitude measures how far east or west you are from the Prime Meridian. Together, they pin down a unique location anywhere on the globe, and they can be written in degrees, minutes, and seconds or decimal form. For example, 37.7749° N, 122.4194° W specifies a precise spot on a map.

Altitude and longitude isn’t sufficient on its own because altitude gives height above sea level, not surface position on the chart. Speed and heading describe motion, not a fixed location. Distance and bearing describe a point relative to a starting point; without that reference, they don’t identify a unique chart position. Latitude and longitude are the standard pair that uniquely locates any location on a chart.