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Civil Engineering · Q24

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Engineering and GATE · Civil Engineering · question 24

Q24

The nautical mile is the length of

A.
1 minute of latitude
Answer
B.
1 minute of longitude
C.
1 degree of latitude
D.
1 degree of longitude

Answer: Option A

Solution

Answer: Option A
Solution:
The nautical mile is a unit of measurement used in navigation and is defined as one minute of latitude along any meridian. Here's the breakdown:

- 1 nautical mile (NM) = 1 minute of latitude
- 1 minute of latitude is equal to 1/60th of a degree of latitude
- 1 degree of latitude is approximately 111.12 kilometers or 69.05 miles

So, a nautical mile is approximately 1.852 kilometers or 1.15078 miles.

This unit is particularly useful in navigation because it provides a consistent measure of distance that takes into account the Earth's curvature. It allows navigators to calculate distances accurately while accounting for the variations in the size of a degree of latitude at different locations on the Earth's surface.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option A: 1 minute of latitude.