Tell your Kids How GPS Works

Have you told your kids how GPS works? Being the most curious creatures in the world, your kids are bound to ask you what GPS is all about. Having seen GPS features on your wristwatch, car navigation system and fun geocaching family weekends, they are sure to ask you questions about how GPS works.

GPS has become a big part of every family's life. From simple sports watches to car navigation systems, the technology has wound its way into each and everyone's life to ensure the safety and security of their domain. The popularity of GPS systems has grown exponentially.

History tells that people were forever asking questions like "where am I?", "Where am I going?", "Where are you?", "What is the best way to go to (a place)?" and "how much time do I need to travel to get there?". Our ancestors went to pretty extreme measures to answer these questions.

With only monumental landmarks as well as stars and moon to guide them through their travels, navigating country maps is extremely laborious. Imagine their expressions if they discovered all these questions can easily be answered with a few button clicks. The answer lies in a portable device called a GPS receiver.

GPS or global positioning system was first developed for military use to enhance navigation precision and accuracy. With the use of hand held GPS devices, the system enabled military men to determine their location on the map and accurately calculate distances between certain locations or mapping points.

Eventually, the Defense department has approved non-military GPS applications. This, along with the federal government's commitment to allowing public use of GPS technology for free, made way for more GPS applications and portable devices to be developed for the safety and security of each and every one of us.

Today, you can see handheld GPS devices everywhere. From hikers to daily commuters, these devices are used to guide everyone to their destination or target locations. Your kids may have used this device on your weekend geocaching adventures. But how exactly does a portable GPS work?

To locate its particular location in the world and figure out your distance from your target location, the device performs a mathematical principle called trilateration. This mathematical system basically involves a three-dimensional space or two-dimensional space system of calculations using the signals it receives from the 24+ GPS satellites that circle the planet. Knowing that children usually have a short attention span especially on subjects that involve math, you can simplify your explanation in a language that they know.

Ask your kid if he has played a game called Marco Polo. The idea of the game is basically a tag game with a twist. One player will shout "Marco" and the blindfolded ‘it' will try to figure out where the sound is coming from to tag whoever shouted "Marco". GPS works that way, with a twist.

Tell your kid to imagine playing the game with 4 friends, positioning them in each corner of the room, asking each one to sing different songs. In this light, the ‘it' stands as the GPS receiver and the four friends the GPS satellites that feed the receiver all the needed positioning information to calculate your exact location.

Though the GPS system is a little more complicated than that, this simple explanation may do. Save the complicated mapping calculations as well as latitude and longitude lessons for telling your older kids how GPS works.

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