1. What is the Haversine Formula?

The Haversine formula calculates the great-circle distance between two points on a sphere given their longitudes and latitudes. It's particularly used for calculating distances between points on the Earth's surface.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Haversine formula:

Where:

• \( lat1, lon1 \) — Latitude and longitude of point 1 (in degrees)
• \( lat2, lon2 \) — Latitude and longitude of point 2 (in degrees)
• \( R \) — Radius of the Earth (default 3959 miles)

Explanation: The formula accounts for the spherical shape of the Earth and provides an accurate distance calculation between two points.

3. Importance of Distance Calculation

Details: Accurate distance calculation between geographic coordinates is essential for navigation, logistics, geographic analysis, and many scientific applications.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter coordinates in decimal degrees (e.g., 40.7128° N, 74.0060° W as 40.7128, -74.0060). The default Earth radius is set for miles (3959), change to 6371 for kilometers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How accurate is the Haversine formula?
A: It's very accurate for most purposes, with errors typically less than 0.3% due to Earth's ellipsoidal shape.

Q2: What's the difference between great-circle and rhumb line distance?
A: Great-circle (calculated here) is the shortest path on a sphere, while rhumb line maintains constant bearing.

Q3: Can I use this for very short distances?
A: Yes, but for distances under 1km, planar approximation might be simpler and equally accurate.

Q4: Why does the Earth radius matter?
A: The Earth isn't a perfect sphere - using 6371 km (mean radius) gives slightly different results than 3959 miles.

Q5: How should I format negative coordinates?
A: Use negative for West longitudes and South latitudes (e.g., New York is 40.7128, -74.0060).