What is the Mercator projection?
Q: What is the Mercator projection?
A: The Mercator projection is a cylindrical map projection which is widely used in cartography today.
Q: Who developed the Mercator projection?
A: The Mercator projection was developed by Gerardus Mercator in 1569.
Q: Can the Mercator projection be constructed using geometric tools?
A: No, the Mercator projection is not a physical projection, and cannot be constructed using geometric tools.
Q: What is the property of Mercator projection known as conformity?
A: The property of Mercator projection known as conformity means that on a small scale, geometric shapes can be moved around the map, without distorting them.
Q: What is a downside of the Mercator projection?
A: A downside of the Mercator projection is that the scale of the shape and the direction of lines may change when shapes are moved.
Q: Can the Mercator projection accurately represent the relative size of shapes on a map?
A: No, the Mercator projection cannot accurately represent the relative size of shapes on a map. For example, Africa is actually 15 times larger than Greenland, but on this map projection they look the same size.
Q: What is the main purpose for which Mercator projections are used today?
A: Mercator projections are mainly used for maps today.
