General Knowledge · 3

Since a nautical mile equals one minute of arc along a meridian, what fraction of Earth's circumference does it represent?

Answer

1/21,600

Earth's circumference spans 360 degrees, each divided into 60 minutes of arc, giving 21,600 total minutes, so one nautical mile corresponds to exactly 1/21,600th of the planet's circumference.

💡 Did you know?

A nautical mile differs from a regular mile because it's based on Earth's circumference, making it exactly 1/21,600th of the planet.

Other options people guess

  • 1/5,280
  • 1/1,000
  • 1/60,000

Topics

  • measurement
  • nautical-mile
  • math
  • geography

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