Final answer:
Great circles and small circles are important for navigation and understanding geographic locations. They provide the shortest path between two points on the surface of a sphere and help establish geographic coordinates.
Step-by-step explanation:
Great circles and small circles play a significant role when it comes to understanding the globe. A great circle is a circle on the surface of a sphere with the center at the center of the sphere. One example of a great circle is the Earth's equator, which is a circle halfway between the North and South Poles. On the other hand, small circles are any circles that are not great circles. They are formed by intersecting a sphere with a plane that does not pass through the center of the sphere.
Both great circles and small circles are important for navigation and understanding geographic locations. Great circles provide the shortest path between two points on the surface of a sphere, which is useful for calculating distances for air and sea travel. Small circles, such as lines of latitude on the Earth, help establish geographic coordinates and identify specific points on the globe.