# How are longitude lines and time zones related?

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9
Aug 6, 2016

#### Answer:

There are 360 degrees of longitude and the there 24 hours in a day
so every 15 degrees of longitude equals one time zone.

#### Explanation:

In theory every 15 degrees change in longitude from line zero in England represents a new time zone or a 1 hour difference.

$\frac{360}{24}$ = 15 degrees.

In practice political factors influence where the time zones actually fall. The state of Arizona wanted all of the state to be be in the same time zone regardless where the 15th degree of longitude fell.

Political factors aside generally the time zones change every 15 degrees.

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Apr 19, 2015

Very vaguely...
Time zones were invented in order to make sure that trains did not run into one another running on the same track.

If you think this is funny, stop loughing because it is true.
Before the railways were invented, every vilage on Earth had its own time given by the Sudial on the Church spire (or Minaret).
Everyone had his noon at noon, as indicated by their Sundial, and no one cared if it was different from the noon of the next village. No one had a watch and a difference of a few minuts over a few kilometers did not matter at all.

When trains began to run (alternatively on the same tracks to start with) it became important for everyone to have the same time and that such time be official and officially known.
Nations therefore officialised for their territories the noon of each capital as a reference time.

Such boudaries obviously did not respect Longitudes. No one wanted one O'Clock in Rome when it was two O'Clock in Florence simply because a time line run between the two cities. Exact time zones were devised (15° of Latitude each), but their limits had to be adjusted for political reason around political boundaries.

Today time zones also follow ideology and stuburdness of politicians. Russia spans over seven or eight time zone, but China to stress the oneness of the country only has one (instead of four). Time zones are meant to be 24 of one hour each, but some countries, like India, but also some provinces like Newfoundland, insist to be more accurate and have their own half an hour time zones.

Therefore the answer to your question is: they are related geographycally, but they are mostly politically correlated.

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