1. Map Projections

2. Students must be able to identify and understand the following projections.
Mercator
Polar
Robinson

3. Mercator Projection Most Accurate in the tropics
from Cancer to Capricorn
Most Distortion at the North and South Poles

4. Mercator Projection Used for: Locating Latitude and Longitude
Sea Captains use it for navigation at sea

5. Mercator Projection Characteristics: All lines are at 90 degree angles
Simplest to read
Accurate direction
Distorted size, distance, shape

7. Robinson Projection Most Accurate at the equator
Most Distortion around the outer edges

8. Robinson Projection Same characteristics as the Mercator except:
lines of longitude are curved
shapes at the poles are flat and not as distorted
used mostly in classrooms--one of the most accurate maps

10. Polar Projection Most Accurate at the poles
Most Distortion around the outer edges

11. Polar Projection
Used for navigation of air planes

12. Polar Projection Characteristics:
Distances and direction are accurate from the center along the longitude lines.
Size and shape are accurate at the center of the map

17. Distortion is evident near the top and bottom of the projection.
Types of Maps
Conic Projections
A conic projection is a map made by projecting points and lines from a globe onto a cone.
The cone touches the globe at a particular line of latitude along which there is very little distortion in the areas or shapes of landmasses.
Distortion is evident near the top and bottom of the projection.

18. Types of Maps
Gnomonic Projections
A gnomonic projection is a map made by projecting points and lines from a globe onto a piece of paper that touches the globe at a single point.
Gnomonic projections distort direction and distance between landmasses.
Gnomonic projections are useful in plotting long-distance trips by air or sea.

19. Types of Maps
Gnomonic Projections
Great circles are imaginary lines that divide Earth into two equal halves.
On a sphere such as Earth, the shortest distance between two points lies along a great circle.
Navigators connect points on gnomonic projections to plot great-circle routes.