Which geographic coordinate runs north and south (perpendicular to the equator), starting at the prime meridian and increasing east or west up to 180°, with east positive and west negative?

Which geographic coordinate runs north and south (perpendicular to the equator), starting at the prime meridian and increasing east or west up to 180°, with east positive and west negative?

• A. Latitude
• B. Longitude
• C. Solar Day
• D. UTC

Answer: (B)

Longitude is the geographic coordinate that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole. These lines are perpendicular to the lines of latitude, which circle the globe parallel to the equator. The reference is the prime meridian at 0°, passing through Greenwich. From there, longitude increases as you move east up to 180°, and becomes negative as you move west down to -180°. This east-positive, west-negative convention precisely describes how far east or west a location lies from the prime meridian. By contrast, latitude lines run east-west and measure distance north or south of the equator, while Solar Day and UTC relate to time, not position on the globe.

Longitude is the geographic coordinate that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole. These lines are perpendicular to the lines of latitude, which circle the globe parallel to the equator. The reference is the prime meridian at 0°, passing through Greenwich. From there, longitude increases as you move east up to 180°, and becomes negative as you move west down to -180°. This east-positive, west-negative convention precisely describes how far east or west a location lies from the prime meridian. By contrast, latitude lines run east-west and measure distance north or south of the equator, while Solar Day and UTC relate to time, not position on the globe.