What is the latitude of the Tropic of Cancer?

What is the latitude of the Tropic of Cancer?

• A. 23.5 degrees North
• B. 23.5 degrees South
• C. 66.5 degrees North
• D. 66.5 degrees South

Answer: (A)

The Tropic of Cancer sits at about 23.5 degrees north of the equator because Earth is tilted about 23.5 degrees on its axis. The sun can be directly overhead only within about 23.5 degrees of the equator. When the sun is at its highest point during the June solstice, it reaches the point directly above the Tropic of Cancer. So that latitude marks the northern boundary of the tropical zone, which is why it’s measured north of the equator. Why the other numbers don’t fit: 23.5 degrees south would place the sun directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn, the southern boundary of the tropics. 66.5 degrees north or south correspond to the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, not the tropics.

The Tropic of Cancer sits at about 23.5 degrees north of the equator because Earth is tilted about 23.5 degrees on its axis. The sun can be directly overhead only within about 23.5 degrees of the equator. When the sun is at its highest point during the June solstice, it reaches the point directly above the Tropic of Cancer. So that latitude marks the northern boundary of the tropical zone, which is why it’s measured north of the equator.

Why the other numbers don’t fit: 23.5 degrees south would place the sun directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn, the southern boundary of the tropics. 66.5 degrees north or south correspond to the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, not the tropics.