Final answer:
A conformal projection, like the Mercator projection, is the class of projection that preserves angles and shapes, maintaining local accuracy of angles and shapes of small areas.
Step-by-step explanation:
The class of projection that preserves angles and shapes is a conformal projection. This type of map projection, like the Mercator projection, maintains local angles and shapes, meaning that the shapes of small areas and the angles of intersecting lines are preserved. The Mercator projection is an example of a conformal cylindrical map projection where all latitude lines have the same length as the equator. In this coordinate system, the Mercator map distorts the size of objects as the latitude increases from the Equator to the poles, but shapes and angles are locally accurate.