Question about longitude/latitude?

Question

What does this mean? My astronomy textbook says, that the latitude is the angular distance of a place from the equator, reckoned centre of the globe. I understand that well, but then it says Selsey, in Sussex, is at latitude 50°44'N. Why are there two parts, why shouldn't it just be 50°?

Thank you in advance, I'm very confused and my exam is on Monday!

Answer 1

Latitude is used to express how far north or south you are, relative to the equator.

Longitude shows your location in an east-west direction, relative to the Greenwich meridian.

On a map or globe, the lines of latitude run from south to north. And the lines of longitude run from East to West.

If you said to someone "I am at 50°". It means you could be from anywhere around the globe on the 50° line of longitude. You need the longitude ° and the latitude ° to pinpoint one place.

Answer 2

Becuase the earth isn't straight up and down it is actually just tilted slightly.

Answer 3

degrees and portions of a degree... the whole and a fraction.

Don't forget there are positive and negative numbers = north of the equator and south of the equator -- hee heeheeeeeee and then there is east and west of the meridian so you have have more factors.

me = EM79tj in maidenhead