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Compare a Mercator chart's treatment of rhumb lines and great circles, and explain one limitation relevant to route planning.
Answer
On a Mercator chart, rhumb lines appear as straight lines and great circles generally appear as curves. The projection is conformal, preserving local angles, but its scale increases toward the poles. Consequently, distances and areas are increasingly distorted at high latitudes.
Explanation
The Mercator projection makes constant-direction routes straightforward to plot because rhumb lines are straight. It is **conformal**, preserving local angles, but does not maintain constant scale across latitudes. Great-circle routes generally curve on the chart. **Key takeaway:** A straight chart line is not necessarily the shortest route. **Glossary:** **Conformal**: preserving local angles and shapes.
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