Final answer:
Parallels, or lines of latitude, are numbered from 0° to 90° north and south, not east and west, which makes the student's statement false. Latitude refers to the position north or south of the equator, while longitude refers to the position east or west of the prime meridian.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that parallels are numbered from 0° to 90° east and from 0° to 90° west is false. The lines of latitude, also known as parallels, are actually numbered from 0° to 90° north and from 0° to 90° south of the equator. The equator itself represents 0° latitude. Lines of latitude north of the equator are denoted with an 'N' for north, and lines south of the equator are denoted with an 'S' for south. Conversely, the lines of longitude, also known as meridians, are numbered from 0° to 180° east and from 0° to 180° west of the prime meridian, which runs through Greenwich, England.