How accurate are Latitude and Longitude values in Google Maps?
Latitude and Longitude co-ordinates are extremely accurate, but are dependent on how precise the figure you use. The Global Positioning System uses this co-ordinate system as it is the only precise system available. The numeric information that a user sees while using a GPS will differ slightly from actual co-ordinates as the information after the number of degrees (in both latitude and longitude) is arranged and calculated differently. Remember a GPS co-ordinate, regardless of system, uses 50° north (latitude) and 4° west (longitude) for Plymouth England. The differences come out when the remainder is expressed in terms the computers can use. A full set of precise co-ordinates for Plymouth, England look like: 50° 22′ 17.03″ north and 4° 08′ 32.75″ west. Looking at Latitude, when 22 minutes (which is based on a scale of 60) is changed to a digital decimal based on 100 it becomes .36666667. Now 17 seconds needs to be changed as well, but the 17 is based on a scale of 3600 (60X60), and n
