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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. The difference between longitude and latitude is that latitude lines _____________ each other.

2. What advantage did the magnetic variation method have over astronomical approaches at determining longitude?

3. What did WIlliam Whiston contribute to the longitude debate?

4. Before using clocks to navigate longitude, sailors used the __________.

5. Huygen's clocks went on a number of voyages. On the third voyage to the Cape Verde Islands, what did his clock do?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who were the early players in the longitude prize described in Chapter 6: The Prize. What role did they play?

2. Why is the story of Sir Clowdisley included in Chapter 2: The Sea Before Time?

3. Describe John Harrison.

4. In Chapter 2: The Sea Before Time, what happened to Sir Clowdisley's voyage?

5. In Harrison's early clockmaking years, what was his goal?

6. In 1740, the Centurion set sail for the South Pacific without Harrison's clock. What might have been different about the voyage if they would have taken the clock? Why?

7. In 1530, Flemish astronomer Gemma Frisiusm wrote that the clocks of his day "provided no problem to those who traveled." In reality, what were the problems with clocks of his day for travel?

8. What was the Longitude Act of 1714?

9. What was the problem with measuring the speed of light? How was it solved?

10. What is the main difference, as identified in Chapter 1, between latitude and longitude?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay describing each of Harrison's clocks. What were the advancements of each one? How long did they take to build? Which ones were shrouded in controversy? Which one was closest to winning the prize?

Essay Topic 2

Not knowing how to determine longitude caused devastating human and economic consequences. In an essay, describe what the human and economic consequences were, citing examples from the text.

Essay Topic 3

We learn in Longitude the struggles that astronomers had gone through in developing a solution to the longitude problem and they would not allow all their work to be shown unnecessary. Sobel is able to come to allow the reader to come to this conclusion through the use of objective and subjective details. According to the Royal Academy of Astronomers, why was Harrison not "worthy" to solve the problem of longitude? How do you know this? Through objective or subjective details?

(see the answer keys)

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