4 ms·
Right?! Even on maps it is true. It doesn't mean that there is a viable route on that line or that that line is the preferred one. That one is really bad, imo
by abraves10001 10y ago
Right?! Even on maps it is true.
It doesn't mean that there is a viable route on that line or that that line is the preferred one.
That one is really bad, imo
- maxerickson 10y agoIt's only true on certain maps. https://courseware.e-education.psu.edu/projection/chapter9.html https://courseware.e-education.psu.edu/projection/chapter9.h... For regional maps it doesn't particularly matter, the map will be in a projection that has relatively minimal error, but a straight line in most projected coordinate systems will not be the shortest path between those points.
- jcranmer 10y agoDepends on the map projection. On the surface of a sphere, the shortest distance between two points is along a great circle route (which is the equivalent of a line in spherical geometry). Polar map projections preserve straight lines as great circle routes, but, e.g., Mercator projections do not. If you're looking at a 5 km × 5 km topo map, the difference isn't particularly significant. If you're looking at a map of Europe or the United States, it is (note that many airline routes seem to follow curved lines--it's because the shortest distance is that curved line).
- ska 10y agoEven on maps it is true. That really depends on your map. Or rather, your projection. Which is sort of the point.