You are on page 1of 3

CONSTRUCTION OF MERCATOR CHART Materials required; Protractor Compass Ruler One A3 size paper - Provided Sharp pencil Fine

black ballpoint pen

Please carry out the following steps.

1. Fold the paper, A3 size, horizontally into 2 equal halves. Draw a line at the centre of the paper. This will be the "equator". Lay the protractor on the paper with the flat size on the left. Place the centre point and the 900 mark on the equator. Trace the shape of the protractor. Mark the centre, Z, on the diameter. Make all marks lightly in pencil.

2. Using a protractor, mark every 100 around the semicircle. Starting at the top, label these points, eg, A, B, .S.

3. Beginning at Z, measure left along the equator 2/5 of radius, 2cm, and mark a new point, T.

4. Using the protractor, draw the westernmost line of longitude perpendicular to the equator and tangent to the original semicircle at point J.

5. Set the spacing of the lines of latitudes as follows: With the left end of your ruler on point T, align the right side to point I on the semicircle: mark where this line(TI) intersects the westernmost longitude line. Beginning again at point T, mark points on the westernmost longitude for lines through points H, G, F,E,D, and C. Each point marks 100 of latitude.

6. Draw latitude lines parallel to the equator through these points. To make the latitudes parallel, measure the distances between marks on the westernmost longitude line; copy these measurements and mark equivalent points on the easternmost longitude line. Connect pairs of points, (eastern and an western), beginning closest to the equator.

7. Repeat steps 6 and 7 for latitudes south of equator.

8. Note: This projection, lines of latitudes are parallel and spacing between them increases away from the equator. Latitudes 900N and 900S cannot be shown on a Mercator projection, because they are infinitely far from the equator.

9. Set longitude lines as follows: Measure east 1cm from the westernmost longitude and make a mark on the equator. This represents 100 of longitude. Repeat this step, 35 times, and you will have 3600 of longitude. Use a parallel rule to draw straight parallel lines. On the Mercator projection, longitudes lines are parallel and equally spaced.

10. At this point, covers the whole earth. Indicate the Prime Meridian, the line of 0000.

11. Label the latitudes and longitudes along the right and bottom of the map. The equator is 00 and the latitude valves increase in increments of 100 to the north and south. The westernmost longitude line is 1800 W; longitude values decrease in increments of 100 to 0000 at Prime Meridian, and increase again to 1800 at the eastern edge of the map. This map approximates the characteristics of the Mercator projection.

12. Make a bar scale in the margin below the map. A bar scale is commonly centred below the map. To determine the scale at the equator, divide the earth's equatorial circumference by 3600; therefore, each degree of longitude and latitude at the equator equals about 111km. 100 of longitude at the equator is represented by 1cm on the map, represents 1110km. Draw a line represents 11110km.

13. Sketch the outlines of the continents as shown on the World Atlas.

14. Plot the route of an oil tanker from Kuwait to Tokyo.

Please check your work before submission.

return to top | previous page Content 2009. All Rights Reserved. Date last modified: April 8, 2009.

You might also like