In grid mapping, there are two important ideas called eastings and northings. These help us find where things are on a map.
What Are Eastings?
Eastings are numbers that show how far you have to go to the east from a starting line, which is usually the center line of the mapping system.
When you look at a map, every time you move to the right, the eastings value gets bigger.
For example, in the British National Grid system, the eastings starting point is 0. As you go further east, these numbers increase. This helps us find specific places more easily.
What About Northings?
Northings are similar but measure distance going north from a starting line, which is often the equator or a set baseline.
As you move up on the map, the northings values also get bigger.
In the British National Grid, the starting point for northings is 0, located at the southern baseline. As you go north, these values rise.
Combining Eastings and Northings
To find a specific location, we use both eastings and northings together.
A grid reference combines these two values, usually shown in parentheses like this: (eastings, northings).
For example, a point might be marked as (123, 456). This means the location is 123 units to the east and 456 units to the north from the starting lines.
In Summary
Eastings help us move across the map from side to side, while northings help us go up and down.
Knowing about eastings and northings is very important for reading maps and finding places. It’s a basic skill that students learn in geography class!
In grid mapping, there are two important ideas called eastings and northings. These help us find where things are on a map.
What Are Eastings?
Eastings are numbers that show how far you have to go to the east from a starting line, which is usually the center line of the mapping system.
When you look at a map, every time you move to the right, the eastings value gets bigger.
For example, in the British National Grid system, the eastings starting point is 0. As you go further east, these numbers increase. This helps us find specific places more easily.
What About Northings?
Northings are similar but measure distance going north from a starting line, which is often the equator or a set baseline.
As you move up on the map, the northings values also get bigger.
In the British National Grid, the starting point for northings is 0, located at the southern baseline. As you go north, these values rise.
Combining Eastings and Northings
To find a specific location, we use both eastings and northings together.
A grid reference combines these two values, usually shown in parentheses like this: (eastings, northings).
For example, a point might be marked as (123, 456). This means the location is 123 units to the east and 456 units to the north from the starting lines.
In Summary
Eastings help us move across the map from side to side, while northings help us go up and down.
Knowing about eastings and northings is very important for reading maps and finding places. It’s a basic skill that students learn in geography class!