Gps Coordinate Distance Calculator

GPS Distance Formula:

\[ distance = 6371 \times \arccos(\cos(lat1) \times \cos(lat2) \times \cos(lon2-lon1) + \sin(lat1) \times \sin(lat2)) \]

Latitude 1 (radians):

Longitude 1 (radians):

Latitude 2 (radians):

Longitude 2 (radians):

Distance:

Unit Converter ▲

Unit Converter ▼

From:	To:

1. What is the GPS Distance Formula?

The GPS distance formula calculates the great-circle distance between two points on the Earth's surface using their latitude and longitude coordinates in radians. This formula accounts for the Earth's curvature to provide accurate distance measurements.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the following formula:

\[ distance = 6371 \times \arccos(\cos(lat1) \times \cos(lat2) \times \cos(lon2-lon1) + \sin(lat1) \times \sin(lat2)) \]

Where:

6371 — Earth's radius in kilometers
lat1 — Latitude of point 1 in radians
lon1 — Longitude of point 1 in radians
lat2 — Latitude of point 2 in radians
lon2 — Longitude of point 2 in radians

Explanation: The formula calculates the central angle between the two points and then multiplies it by Earth's radius to get the distance.

3. Importance of GPS Distance Calculation

Details: Accurate distance calculation between GPS coordinates is essential for navigation, geography, logistics, and many location-based applications.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter all coordinates in radians (convert from degrees if necessary). The calculator will provide the distance in kilometers between the two points.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How do I convert degrees to radians?
A: Multiply degrees by π/180 (approximately 0.0174533).

Q2: Why use this formula instead of simple Euclidean distance?
A: The Earth is spherical, so Euclidean distance would be inaccurate for anything but very short distances.

Q3: What is the Earth radius value used?
A: The calculator uses 6371 km, which is the mean radius of the Earth.

Q4: How accurate is this calculation?
A: It's very accurate for most purposes, though it assumes a perfect sphere (Earth is actually an oblate spheroid).

Q5: Can I use this for very short distances?
A: Yes, but for distances under 1 km, simpler flat-earth approximations may be sufficient.