RPLS Surveying Principles and Methods 4

Question 1

What is the difference between a 'geodetic' survey and a 'plane' survey?

Accepted Answer

Geodetic surveys account for Earth's curvature and gravity; plane surveys treat the surface as flat

Answer

Geodetic surveys account for the Earth's ellipsoidal shape and gravity field, while plane surveys assume a flat Earth, acceptable for smaller areas.

Question 2

In stadia surveying, a rod intercept of 1.35 m is observed with a stadia constant K=100 and C=0. What is the horizontal distance to the rod?

Accepted Answer

135 m

Answer

Horizontal distance = K × intercept + C = 100 × 1.35 + 0 = 135 m.

Question 3

What is 'reciprocal vertical angles' observation used for in trigonometric leveling?

Accepted Answer

Eliminating atmospheric refraction and Earth curvature errors by averaging angles observed simultaneously from both ends

Answer

Simultaneous reciprocal vertical angles cancel curvature and refraction effects when the two observed angles are averaged.

Question 4

A survey monument is described as being at 'witness corner' position. What does this indicate?

Accepted Answer

The original corner was lost and this accessory monument references its position

Answer

A witness corner is an accessory monument set when the true corner falls in an inaccessible location, referencing the corner by bearing and distance.

Question 5

What does 'GNSS' stand for, and how does it differ from GPS?

Accepted Answer

Global Navigation Satellite System; GNSS includes GPS plus other satellite systems like GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou

Answer

GNSS is the umbrella term for all satellite navigation systems, while GPS refers specifically to the US system; using multiple constellations improves availability and accuracy.

(RPLS) Registered Professional Land Surveyor Practice Test

(RPLS) Registered Professional Land Surveyor Practice Test

RPLS Surveying Principles and Methods 4