How does GPS navigation work using satellites and signals?

GPS navigation uses satellites and signals to help you find your way, like having a group of friends telling you where you are from high above.

Imagine you have a toy phone that can talk to special space toys called satellites. These satellites float around Earth like tiny astronauts in the sky. They send out messages, like little signals, that travel through the air to your phone.

Your phone listens for these signals and uses them to figure out where it is, just like you might use a map or ask a friend for directions. But how?

Each satellite sends its signal at a certain time, and your phone measures how long it takes for that signal to reach it. By knowing how fast the signal travels, kind of like how fast you run from one end of the playground to the other, your phone can tell how far away each satellite is.

When your phone gets signals from at least four satellites, it can do some clever math and figure out exactly where you are on Earth, just like knowing where you are by looking at the positions of several friends around you.