Final answer:
Mason and Dixon used a zenith sector to measure latitude, which determines a location's position north or south of the equator.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mason and Dixon used an instrument called a zenith sector for determining degrees of this north of the equator. They were measuring latitude, which is the number of degrees of arc one is away from the equator along the meridian. Latitude measurements range from 0° at the equator to 90° at the poles, measured either north or south of the equator.