Unit 03 Review Questions

. What is the distance contained in one degree of longitude at the South Pole?

0 km

69 km

111 km

360 km

. Why are there so many systems of latitude and longitude?

Each major language needs its own system.

There is no international body that has been able to impose a single uniform system.

Different countries are unable to agree on precise definitions of latitude and longitude.

Different regions each have a different ellipsoid that is the best fit for a specific system.

. Why do all map projections contain distortion?

They were created by specific countries that highlighted the geography of those countries.

They are flat representations of a curved surface.

They are all equal-area maps, which inherently contain distortion.

They are necessarily smaller than the area they represent.

. A Mercator projection has the greatest amount of distortion at:

the equator

the poles

midlatitudes

the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn

. If preserving the relative size of places is of prime importance to you, you should construct a map with a(n):

conical projection

cylindrical projection

equal-area projection

Mercator projection

. What is the minimum number of satellite signals a GPS unit must receive in order to have a reasonable chance of giving a fairly accurate position reading?

Zero

One

Two

Three

. Currently, most of our remote-sensing technology is located:

at National Weather Service stations

on special high-altitude airplanes

on high mountaintops

on satellites

Quiz Content