Question 1887Navigation General70% to pass
What is a characteristic of a rhumb line?
AI Explanation
The correct answer is B) It cuts each meridian at the same angle.
A rhumb line is a navigational line that maintains a constant course angle relative to true north. This means the vessel following a rhumb line will cross each meridian (lines of longitude) at the same angle, creating a spiral pattern on the Earth's surface. This is in contrast to a great circle route, which is the shortest distance between two points but requires constantly changing course.
The other options are incorrect because: A) a rhumb line does not plot as a straight line on a Lambert conformal chart, which is a map projection that distorts rhumb lines; C) the course angle does in fact remain constant on a rhumb line; and D) a rhumb line is not the shortest distance between two points, that would be a great circle route.
Related Questions
#1885 When is the rhumb line distance the same as the great circle distance? #1886 In which voyage, between two points, is the rhumb line distance NOT approximately the same as the great circle distance? #1888 A great circle track provides the maximum saving in distance on _______________.#1889 Except for N-S courses, and E-W courses on the equator, a great circle track between two points, when compared to a rhumb line track between the same two points, will _______________.#1890 What defines a great circle?