Final answer:
The difference in latitude between New York City and Wellington, New Zealand is 81.96°, which represents the sum of the absolute values of both cities' latitudes relative to the equator.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks about the difference in latitude between New York City and Wellington, New Zealand. The latitude is a measure of distance north or south of the equator, given in degrees. New York City has a latitude of 40.67°N (which is 40.67° north of the equator), and Wellington has a latitude of -41.29° (which is 41.29° south of the equator). To find the difference, we need to calculate the absolute difference between these two values.
Step 1: Convert negative latitude to positive to denote the distance from the equator for both cities. Wellington's latitude is 41.29° south, which is equivalent to 41.29°.
Step 2: Add the absolute values of both latitudes to find the total difference. That means you add 40.67° (New York City) and 41.29° (Wellington).
Step 3: Perform the addition: 40.67° + 41.29° = 81.96°.
The correct answer is 81.96°, which corresponds to option b.