Which projection does not produce a conformal map?

• A. Winkel Tripel
• B. Mercator Projection
• C. Stereographic Projection
• D. Lambert Conformal Conic

Answer: (A)

Conformality means angles are preserved locally, so small shapes look right on the map even though overall size can change. Mercator preserves angles, which is why directions are reliable for navigation and shapes stay locally similar, though areas get hugely distorted toward the poles. Stereographic projection is also conformal, mapping angles and circles nicely, which is why it’s used in astrometry and some mapping tasks. Lambert conformal conic is another conformal option, designed to keep shapes accurate along its standard parallels while distributing distortion outward.

The Winkel Tripel projection is a compromise: it balances distortions in area, direction, and distance to look visually appealing on a world map, but it does not preserve local angles. Because it sacrifices angle preservation, it is not conformal. So the projection that does not produce a conformal map is Winkel Tripel.