A great circle track would be most...

Question 1 / 2707066636eea28f7522a1c51b2f6

Question 1 of 2707066636eea28f7522a1c51b2f6

A great circle track would be most advantageous when compared to the rhumb line track on which route? (Use gnomonic tracking chart WOXZC 5274)

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Question 1 of 27070

A great circle track would be most advantageous when compared to the rhumb line track on which route? (Use gnomonic tracking chart WOXZC 5274)

🔍 Key Concepts

• Great circle vs rhumb line – how each behaves on a Mercator vs a gnomonic chart • Effect of latitude and longitude span on distance savings between great circle and rhumb line • How gnomonic charts show great circles (as straight lines) compared to rhumb lines

💭 Think About

• On which of these routes does the ship travel the longest east‑west distance while changing latitude enough for a curved great circle to give a real shortcut? • Look at the latitudes of the departure and arrival: which pair lies in the band where great circles are commonly used for ocean passages? • On a gnomonic chart, if you draw the great circle between two points, what indicates that it offers a meaningful saving over the rhumb line?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify which routes are mostly north‑south versus mostly east‑west – great-circle savings are usually larger on long east‑west ocean crossings at mid‑latitudes. • Check which route spends the most time in mid‑latitudes rather than hugging the equator or very high latitudes. • On the gnomonic chart, confirm where the straight‑line great circle deviates most from a straight line on a Mercator (rhumb line) – that route will show the largest distance advantage.

Question 1 of 27070

A great circle track would be most advantageous when compared to the rhumb line track on which route? (Use gnomonic tracking chart WOXZC 5274)

Natal, Brazil, to Reykjavik, Iceland

Palm Beach, FL, to the English Channel

Recife, Brazil, to Monrovia

Cayenne (LAT 4° 40' N, LONG 52° 15' W) to Sao Tome (LAT 0° 00', LONG 6° 45' E)

Question 1 / 2707066636eea28f7522a1c51b2f6

Question 1 of 2707066636eea28f7522a1c51b2f6

A great circle track would be most advantageous when compared to the rhumb line track on which route? (Use gnomonic tracking chart WOXZC 5274)

Back

Question 1 of 27070

A great circle track would be most advantageous when compared to the rhumb line track on which route? (Use gnomonic tracking chart WOXZC 5274)