Rhumb line

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/rhumb-line

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the spherical geometry?Generally a logarithmic spiral; a meridian if α = 0° or 180°
2. What is the cartographic representation?Depicted as a straight line on Mercator projection maps
3. Why do sailors use rhumb lines?Sailors use rhumb lines because they can keep a steady compass heading instead of constantly changing direction, which makes navigation easier.
4. How does a rhumb line look on a map?On a Mercator map, a rhumb line appears as a straight line, so sailors can simply draw a straight line between two points to find the direction.

Loxodrome: The technical term for a rhumb line, derived from Greek words for 'oblique' and 'course'.
Mercator Projection: A conformal cylindrical map projection where rhumb lines are straight and meridians are parallel.
Great Circle: The shortest path between two points on a sphere, formed by the intersection of a plane through the sphere's center with the sphere's surface.
Conformal Map Projection: A map projection that preserves angles locally, meaning shapes of small areas are not distorted.