Practice Test Geeks(PS) Professional Licensed Surveyor Practice Test
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PS Map Projections & Cartography Flashcards

6 cards from real PS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 6 PS Map Projections & Cartography flashcards as text

  1. What type of map projection preserves the shape of small areas but distorts area over large regions?

    Answer: Conformal projection

    Conformal projections preserve local angles and shapes, but they distort area as distance from the central meridian increases.

  2. The State Plane Coordinate System (SPCS) uses which two map projections depending on the orientation of the state?

    Answer: Lambert Conformal Conic and Transverse Mercator

    SPCS uses the Lambert Conformal Conic for east-west-oriented states and the Transverse Mercator for north-south-oriented states.

  3. What is the scale factor at the central meridian of a Transverse Mercator projection used in the State Plane Coordinate System?

    Answer: Less than 1.0000

    In SPCS Transverse Mercator zones, the scale factor at the central meridian is set slightly less than 1 (e.g., 0.9999) so that the projection surface secants the ellipsoid, reducing maximum distortion.

  4. Which datum and ellipsoid are used as the basis for the current North American State Plane Coordinate System (SPCS 83)?

    Answer: NAD 83 / GRS 80 ellipsoid

    SPCS 83 is referenced to NAD 83, which uses the GRS 80 ellipsoid as its geometric foundation.

  5. What is the purpose of a 'grid factor' (combined scale factor) in State Plane coordinate computations?

    Answer: To convert ground distances to grid distances

    The combined (grid) scale factor is multiplied by a ground distance to produce the corresponding grid distance on the State Plane projection.

  6. On a topographic map with a 1:24,000 scale, what does a map distance of 1 inch represent on the ground?

    Answer: 2,000 feet

    At 1:24,000, one map inch equals 24,000 ground inches; dividing by 12 gives 2,000 feet.

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