Table of Contents
What divides the earth into Northern and Eastern hemispheres?
The Prime Meridian
The Prime Meridian divides the globe into Eastern and Western hemispheres, just as the equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern hemispheres. The Prime Meridian is at 0 degrees longitude, just as the equator is at 0 degrees latitude.
Why do mapmakers divide the earth into hemispheres?
Geographers divide the earth into four hemispheres, the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western. They further divide the world into a grid system allowing for more accurate location.
What are the characteristics of a hemisphere?
Properties of a Hemisphere
- A hemisphere has a one curved surface area.
- Just like a sphere, there are no edges and no vertices in a hemisphere.
- A hemisphere is not a polyhedron since polyhedrons are made up of polygons, but a hemisphere has one circular base and one curved surface.
How does the prime meridian and Antimeridian divide the world?
Together, a prime meridian and its anti-meridian (the 180th meridian in a 360°-system) form a great circle. This great circle divides a spheroid into two hemispheres. If one uses directions of East and West from a defined prime meridian, then they can be called the Eastern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere.
What does the prime meridian divide the world into?
The prime meridian and the International Date Line create a circle that divides the Earth into the eastern and western hemispheres. This is similar to the way the Equator serves as the 0 latitude line and divides the Earth into the northern and southern hemispheres.
How many edges does a hemisphere have?
1
A hemisphere has 1 curved edge. A hemisphere has 1 face and 1 curved surface.
Does a hemisphere have a base?
If you have a hemispherical object then it has a base which is a circle of radius r. The area of a circle of radius r is π r2 and thus if the hemisphere is meant to include the base then the surface area is 2 π r2 + π r2 = 3 π r2.
Where do the four hemispheres meet?
The Equator Divides the Northern and Southern Hemispheres This line falls at zero degrees latitude. The Equator is the line of zero degrees latitude around the middle of Earth and is the diving line between the northern and southern hemispheres. Image: NASA, public domain.