On which voyage would a great circle track...

Question 1 / 2707066636eea28f7522a1c51b870

Question 1 of 2707066636eea28f7522a1c51b870

On which voyage would a great circle track be significantly shorter than a rhumb line track? (Use gnomonic tracking chart WOXZC 5274)

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Question 1 of 27070

On which voyage would a great circle track be significantly shorter than a rhumb line track? (Use gnomonic tracking chart WOXZC 5274)

🔍 Key Concepts

• Great circle vs. rhumb line – how each behaves on a globe and on a Mercator chart • Effect of latitude and distance (longitude change) on the difference between great circle and rhumb line distance • How to use a gnomonic tracking chart to compare paths between two points

💭 Think About

• Which of these voyages covers the largest change in longitude at relatively high latitudes, where great circle savings are most noticeable? • If you plot the endpoints on a gnomonic chart, which pair produces the most curved great circle when transferred to a Mercator chart? • Which route is short and mostly north–south or coastal, meaning the rhumb line and great circle would be very similar?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which choices involve higher latitudes and longer east–west spans across the North Atlantic • Mentally estimate which voyages are relatively short coastal hops versus ocean passages • Remember: on a gnomonic chart, great circles plot as straight lines; consider where that straight line would bow farthest toward the pole when seen on a Mercator chart

Question 1 of 27070

On which voyage would a great circle track be significantly shorter than a rhumb line track? (Use gnomonic tracking chart WOXZC 5274)

Dublin, Ireland (Irish Sea), to La Coruna, Spain (LAT 43°22'N, LONG 8°24'W)

Reykjavik, Iceland, to Lisbon, Portugal

Boston to Sable Island

Savannah, GA, to Lisbon, Portugal

Question 1 / 2707066636eea28f7522a1c51b870

Question 1 of 2707066636eea28f7522a1c51b870

On which voyage would a great circle track be significantly shorter than a rhumb line track? (Use gnomonic tracking chart WOXZC 5274)

Back

Question 1 of 27070

On which voyage would a great circle track be significantly shorter than a rhumb line track? (Use gnomonic tracking chart WOXZC 5274)