Question

Which of the following gives the absolute location of a building? A. its street address B. directions from another building C. nearby highway exit D. architectural blueprints of the building

Short answer

A. its street address

Step-by-step solution

Understand the Question

Determine what is required by the question. The question asks for the absolute location of a building, which means an exact, precise position that doesn't change regardless of where another person or place is.

Define Absolute Location

Absolute location refers to the exact spot where a place is located, often given in coordinates like latitude and longitude, or a very specific address.

Evaluate Each Option

Go through each provided answer option to see which one best fits the definition of an absolute location: A. A street address specifies exact coordinates within a city or town.B. Directions from another building are relative and can change.C. A nearby highway exit is also relative and not precise.D. Architectural blueprints offer design details but not an exact physical location.

Select the Correct Answer

From the evaluation, the street address is the only option that gives an exact, unchanging location for the building.

Key concepts

Coordinates

Coordinates are a set of numbers that describe the exact position of a point on the Earth’s surface. The system most often used for this is the geographic coordinate system. This system divides the Earth into a grid, using vertical and horizontal lines. These lines help us pinpoint locations accurately and consistently.
The two main components of coordinates are latitude and longitude. Together, these values allow you to pinpoint any place on Earth with a high degree of precision.
Coordinates are important because they provide a universal way of identifying locations. No matter where you are in the world, coordinates give you a common language for finding places. This is especially useful in activities like navigation, mapping, and even in some forms of scientific research.
If you were to give the coordinates of a building, you could say something like, “The building is located at 40.7128° N latitude and 74.0060° W longitude.” In this way, coordinates provide a completely unambiguous, exact location.

Latitude and Longitude

Latitude and longitude are the two measures used to define a point on the Earth's surface. Think of them as the 'x' and 'y' axis on a graph, but for the globe.
Latitude refers to the distance north or south of the Equator. The Equator is the line that divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Latitude is measured in degrees, from 0° at the Equator up to 90° at the poles.
Longitude, on the other hand, measures the distance east or west of the Prime Meridian. The Prime Meridian is an imaginary line that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole and passes through Greenwich, England. Like latitude, longitude is also measured in degrees, from 0° at the Prime Meridian up to 180° in either direction.
Together, these two numbers (latitude and longitude) make up coordinates. They give us a way to locate points on the Earth's surface very precisely. For example, the coordinates 34.0522° N, 118.2437° W indicate a specific point in Los Angeles, California.

Street Address

A street address is a more familiar way to describe a location, especially in urban or suburban settings. It usually includes information like the street name, building number, city, state, and postal code.
Unlike coordinates, which are universal, a street address is specific to a particular locality. However, it still provides an exact and precise location within that locality. For instance, the address '1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C.' unmistakably refers to the White House.
Street addresses are important because they are easier for people to remember and use in everyday life. Most people may find it easier to recall '221B Baker Street' than a set of latitude and longitude coordinates. Street addresses form a critical part of our daily navigation and mailing systems.
In the context of the original exercise, a street address qualifies as an absolute location because it precisely identifies a unique spot in the world, much like coordinates do. This is why it’s the correct answer to the question about the absolute location of a building.