Why do mapmakers have to choose between showing the correct land shapes and distances on the earth?

The mapmakers have to make this choice because of the shape of our planet and because there is still not a method as to how to have both the land shapes and distances to be precise at the same time.

The shape of the earth is the factor that is not allowing (at least for now) that we have both correct land shapes and precise distances on the maps of the Earth. Because the Earth has a rounded shape, as we move further away from the Equator, the shapes are deforming more and more, or rather they are stretching more and more which makes them appear much bigger than they actually are, thus giving us an unrealistic picture of the size of some of the places on our planet.

a maximum–minimum thermometer. the scales are fahrenheit on the inside of the u and celsius on the outside. the current temperature is 23 degrees celsius, the maximum recorded is 25, and the minimum is 15, both read from the base of the small markers in each arm of the u tube. the bulbs are hidden by a plastic housing.

six's thermometer is a registering thermometer which can record the maximum and minimum temperatures reached over a period of time, for example 24 hours. it is used to record the extremes of temperature at a location, for instance in meteorology and horticulture. it was invented by a british scientist james six, born in canterbury, in 1780; [1] the same basic design remains in use.

it is also commonly known as a maximum–minimum, minimum–maximum, maxima–minima or minima–maxima thermometer, of which it is the earliest practical design.

the thermometer indicates the current temperature, and the highest and lowest temperatures since last reset.