Coast Guard Exams
Question 6Navigation General70% to pass

On a Mercator chart, 1 nautical mile is equal to _______________.

AI Explanation
The correct answer is D) 1 minute of latitude. On a Mercator chart, the distance of 1 nautical mile is equal to 1 minute of latitude. This is because the Mercator projection maintains the true scale of latitude, while the scale of longitude increases towards the poles. Therefore, the distance between lines of latitude (minutes of latitude) remains constant at 1 nautical mile on a Mercator chart. The other options are incorrect because: A) 1 degree of latitude is equal to 60 nautical miles, B) 1 degree of longitude is not a constant distance, and C) 1 minute of longitude is also not a constant distance on a Mercator chart.

Ready to test your knowledge?