Final answer:
The Goode's Interrupted projection is the most accurate in terms of representing the relative size of continents but is least practical for navigation purposes. The Mercator projection is more practical but distorts sizes significantly, while the Winkel Tripel and Robinson are compromise projections.
Step-by-step explanation:
The map that is most accurate in terms of size, but least practical for most uses, is the Goode's Interrupted projection. This map projection maintains the relative size of the continents and the proportions of landmasses accurately, as it is an equal-area map. However, the Goode's Interrupted map cuts and interrupts the oceans to preserve the size and shape of the land, which makes it less practical for navigation or continuous mapping across oceans.
The Mercator projection, on the other hand, is known for its practicality in navigation because it preserves angles, making it useful for charting courses across the seas. However, this projection significantly distorts the size of continents, especially as one moves away from the equator. As a result, landmasses like Greenland and Antarctica appear much larger than they are in reality compared to equatorial regions such as Africa.
An alternative projection that attempts to strike a balance is the Winkel Tripel, which reduces the size distortion of the Mercator projection and presents a more visually appealing world map. The Robinson projection is also a compromise projection that aims to create visually appealing maps but contains some distortion in size and shape.