An equilateral triangle has three 60 degree angles and three equal sides. Assume
ID: 3287323 • Letter: A
Question
An equilateral triangle has three 60 degree angles and three equal sides. Assume you start at the North Pole (POINT A) and travel due south along the Prime Meridian for a distance equal to one earth radius arriving at POINT B. Turn to your left 120 degrees and travel once again a distance equal to the earth's radius arriving at POINT C. As before, turn to your left 120 degrees and travel again a distance equal to the earth's radius . Whilst it may appear you are traveling in a straight line, you are actually traveling along a great circle. Since your trip legs are equidistant and your course changes have interior angles of 60 degrees (180 minus 120), you should have travelled along an equilateral triangle and arrived back at the North Pole. Did you? If not, then provide the latitude and longitude, to the nearest 1/100th of a degree, of you final destination, POINT C; alternately, in terms of the Earths radius, how far is Point C from the North Pole? Show how you arrived at your conclusion. (assume the earth is a sphere)
Explanation / Answer
http://www.av8n.com/physics/spherical-triangle.htm