science

James Thompson (cartographer)

James Thompson (cartographer) is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand James Thompson (cartographer) rather than just read about it. In short: James Thompson was a leading 18th century cartographer and mariner. He produced one of the first maps of York – his Plan of the City of York and Ainsty (1785), which was based on the work of Francis White.

Key takeaways

James Thompson (cartographer) belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect James Thompson (cartographer) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of James Thompson (cartographer) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

James Thompson was a leading 18th century cartographer and mariner. He produced one of the first maps of York – his Plan of the City of York and Ainsty (1785), which was based on the work of Francis White. Thompson's 1777 sea chart map, A chart of the North Sea, from the Forelands to North Bergen, and from the Scaw to the Orkneys and Shetland. Shewing the harbours, havens, bays and roads, banks, rocks, shoals, depths of water, &ca. with the most remarkable appearances of land. Done from various surveys, of the British, Dutch, and Danish pilots, depicts coastal features, structures within the ocean, such as sandbanks as well as "remarkable appearances of land". The top of the chart is oriented to the West, rather than to the North. It has been described as "Captain Thompson’s magnum opus".

Maps held in collections 1777 A chart of the North Sea, from the Forelands to North Bergen, and from the Scaw to the Orkneys and Shetland. Shewing the harbours, havens, bays and roads, banks, rocks, shoals, depths of water, &ca. with the most remarkable appearances of land. Done from various surveys, of the British, Dutch, and Danish pilots by James Thompson, Mariner, 1777. Published by Robert Sayer; the map is held in the permanent collection of the National Maritime Museum, Royal Museums Greenwich, and in the Bodelian Library Map Room. 1785 Plan of the City of York and Ainsty, based on the work of Francis White. This is a coloured etching, size 664x860mm, and is currently located in York City Art Gallery and is part of the Evelyn Collection.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with James Thompson (cartographer)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what James Thompson (cartographer) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to James Thompson (cartographer) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about James Thompson (cartographer) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of James Thompson (cartographer)

In research: James Thompson (cartographer) appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses James Thompson (cartographer) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: James Thompson (cartographer) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 18th-century British cartographers, British people (1707–1800) stubs, Cartography stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for James Thompson (cartographer) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study James Thompson (cartographer) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what James Thompson (cartographer) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain James Thompson (cartographer) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is James Thompson (cartographer) in simple terms?

Why does James Thompson (cartographer) matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study James Thompson (cartographer)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on James Thompson (cartographer).