RPLS Technical Standards and Specifications 4

Question 1

Which coordinate system is used as the basis for State Plane Coordinates in the contiguous United States?

Accepted Answer

Lambert Conformal Conic and Transverse Mercator projections

Answer

State Plane Coordinate systems use either Lambert Conformal Conic (east-west states) or Transverse Mercator (north-south states) projections.

Question 2

What does 'NAD 83' designate in surveying?

Accepted Answer

North American Datum of 1983, a horizontal geodetic datum

Answer

NAD 83 (North American Datum of 1983) is the official horizontal geodetic datum for the United States, Canada, and Central America.

Question 3

In the context of LiDAR surveys, what does 'point density' refer to?

Accepted Answer

The number of laser returns per unit area

Answer

Point density (points per square meter or square foot) describes how many LiDAR returns are collected per unit area, affecting detail and accuracy.

Question 4

According to PLSS standards, a standard township contains approximately how many acres?

Accepted Answer

23,040 acres

Answer

A standard PLSS township is 6 miles × 6 miles = 36 sections × 640 acres/section = 23,040 acres total.

Question 5

What is the significance of the 'scale factor' in State Plane Coordinate calculations?

Accepted Answer

It corrects for the distortion introduced by projecting an ellipsoid onto a plane

Answer

The scale factor corrects the difference between grid distances on the projection plane and geodetic distances on the ellipsoid surface.

(RPLS) Registered Professional Land Surveyor Practice Test