Name: 
 

Mapping Study Guide



Modified True/False
Indicate whether the sentence or statement is true or false.  If false, change the identified word or phrase to make the sentence or statement true.
 

1. 

Lines of latitude are parallel. _________________________

 

2. 

The Topex/Poseidon satellite allows its users to determine their exact position on Earth. ______________________________

 

3. 

The science of mapmaking is called cartography. _________________________

 

4. 

The prime meridian represents 0° longitude. _________________________

 

5. 

The International Date Line is another name for the equator. _________________________

 

6. 

A Mercator projection distorts areas near the poles. _________________________

 

7. 

A contour line on a world map connects points of equal elevation. _________________________

 

8. 

A map legend explains what the symbols on a map represent. _________________________

 

9. 

The wavelength of an electromagnetic wave is the number of waves that pass a particular point each second. _________________________

 

10. 

Satellites in the Global Positioning System help users determine their exact weight. _________________________

 

Multiple Choice
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 

11. 

What is the longitude of the prime meridian?
a.
c.
90° west
b.
90° east
d.
180°
 

12. 

Which of the following is used by navigators to plot great-circle routes?
a.
Mercator projection
c.
gnomonic projection
b.
conic projection
d.
topographic map
 

13. 

Which of the following is used extensively for navigation by airplanes and ships?
a.
depression contour line
c.
Topex/Poseidon satellite
b.
Landsat satellite
d.
Global Positioning System
 

14. 

What is the latitude of the north pole?
a.
0° north
c.
180° north
b.
90° north
d.
360° north
 

15. 

Each degree of latitude or longitude is divided into 60 smaller units called ____.
a.
meridians
c.
seconds
b.
grids
d.
minutes
 

16. 

Which statement about lines of longitude is true?
a.
They converge at the equator.
b.
They converge at the poles.
c.
They are parallel.
d.
They locate positions in north and south directions.
 

17. 

Into how many time zones is Earth divided?
a.
12
c.
24
b.
15
d.
360
 

18. 

All flat maps distort either the shapes or the areas of landmasses because ____.
a.
the boundaries of landmasses are not known with certainty
b.
such large structures cannot be drawn accurately
c.
lines of latitude are not perfectly parallel
d.
Earth is a curved, three-dimensional object
 

19. 

On a topographic map, the difference in elevation between two side-by-side contour lines is called the ____.
a.
contour interval
c.
depression contour
b.
index contour
d.
hachure
 

20. 

What is a graphic scale?
a.
a statement that expresses distance, such as one centimeter equals one kilometer
b.
a ratio that expresses distance, such as 1:50 000
c.
a line broken into sections that represent units with each section representing a distance on Earth’s surface
d.
a diagram that shows the elevation of the hills and valleys of an area
 

21. 

GPS satellites can relay information about all of the following except ____.
a.
position
c.
direction
b.
elevation
d.
weather
 

Completion
Complete each sentence or statement.
 

22. 

If you were traveling ____________________ across the International Date Line, you would advance your calendar one day.
 

 

23. 

The speed of light in a vacuum is ____________________ km/s.
 

 

Matching
 
 
Match each item with the correct statement below.
a.
cartography
d.
map scale
b.
contour line
e.
remote sensing
c.
map legend
f.
topographic map
 

24. 

The process of collecting data about Earth from far above Earth's surface
 

25. 

Explains what the symbols on a map represent
 

26. 

The science of mapmaking
 

27. 

Connects points of equal elevation on a map
 

28. 

Type of map that shows changes in elevation of Earth's surface
 

29. 

The ratio between distances on a map and actual distances on the surface of Earth
 

Short Answer
 

30. 

Contrast the distortion that is produced by a Mercator projection, a conic projection, and a gnomonic projection.
 

31. 

There is a mistake in the topographic map shown in the figure below. Identify the mistake and explain why it is wrong.

mapping_files/i0370000.jpg
 

32. 

Which of the remote-sensing satellites discussed in Chapter 2 would be most likely to detect a large fire burning on Earth's surface? Explain your reasoning.
 
 
Compare and contrast each pair of related terms or phrases.
 

33. 

latitude, longitude
 

34. 

conic projection, gnomonic projection
 

35. 

Landsat satellite, Topex/Poseidon satellite
 

36. 

Time zone boundaries do not always line up perfectly with lines of longitude. Why?
 

37. 

Why does a Mercator projection exaggerate the areas of landmasses near the poles?
 

38. 

Why do contour lines never cross?
 

39. 

Why are map scales useful?
 

40. 

How does the Topex/Poseidon satellite collect data?
 
 
Use the table to answer the following questions.

City
Latitude
Longitude
Cape Town, South Africa
34°S
18°E
Pontianak, Indonesia
109°E
Nome, Alaska
65°N
165°W
Quito, Ecuador
79°W
Stockholm, Sweden
59°N
18°E
Wellington, New Zealand
41°S
175°E
 

41. 

Which city is closest to the International Date Line?
 

42. 

Which city is farthest from the equator?
 

43. 

What is the approximate distance between Stockholm and Cape Town? Explain your answer.
 

44. 

What is the approximate distance between Pontianak and Quito? Explain your answer.
 

45. 

When it is Thursday in Wellington, what day is it in Nome? Explain your answer.
 

46. 

Suppose you were given a topographic map that did not show index contours. What would the map indicate about the terrain of the area shown? What would the map not indicate?
 

Problem
 

47. 

Look at the map of Australia. The table below lists the longitude and latitude for several locations in Australia. Complete by using the map to fill in the missing coordinates.

mapping_files/i0560000.jpg

LATITUDE
LONGITUDE
LOCATION
a. ______
131°E
Ayers Rock
38°S
b. ______
Melbourne
32°S
c. ______
Perth
d. ______
151°E
Sydney

Table 2-1
 

48. 

Point A is located at 40°N, 75°W. Point B is located at 35°N, 120°W. When it's 10 P.M. at point A, what time is it likely to be at point B?
 

49. 

A mapmaker has given you a map to complete. The map already has a graphic scale and a verbal scale. The verbal scale reads, "One centimeter equals 40 kilometers." The mapmaker wants you to add the correct fractional scale. What should you write? Show your reasoning.
 

50. 

The wavelength of electromagnetic radiation is inversely related to the radiation's frequency. In other words, radiation with a long wavelength has a low frequency, and radiation with a short wavelength has a high frequency. The amount of energy in electromagnetic radiation increases with frequency. Use this information to explain which of the forms of radiation in the table below has the most energy.

Radiation
Wavelength (m)
Radio wave
8 ´ 102
Microwave
7 ´ 10-2
Blue light
5 ´ 10-7
X-ray
3 ´ 10-11
 
 
Mapping techniques can be used on other planets besides Earth. In 1996, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched a satellite called the Mars Global Surveyor toward Mars. One of the purposes of the satellite was to collect data about the surface of Mars. The satellite reached Mars in 1997 and then gradually slowed into a low, circular orbit around the planet. It finally began mapping the surface of Mars in 1999, a process that was scheduled to last nearly two years.

The Mars Global Surveyor carries a camera that can distinguish objects on the surface of Mars that are less than 1.5 m across. It also has an instrument that measures surface elevation as well as sensors that analyze the heat radiating from the planet’s surface. These sensors provide data about the composition of different areas of the planet. All of the information collected by the Mars Global Surveyor is transmitted to Earth in the form of radio waves. The satellite will continue to orbit Mars for at least 50 years after its mission is completed. It does not carry enough propellant to return to Earth.
 

51. 

The distance from Earth to Mars ranges between 78 000 000 km and 380 000 000 km, depending on the time of year. The speed of light is 300 000 km/s. Calculate the minimum and maximum time it takes for data transmitted by the Mars Global Surveyor to reach Earth.
 

52. 

What are the advantages of using a satellite for this project instead of sending a team of astronauts to Mars to map the surface?
 

53. 

It takes Mars 24.6 hours to rotate once on its axis. How wide in degrees is a time zone on Mars if each time zone represents a different hour? (Hint: Like Earth, Mars is a sphere.)
 
 
This map was prepared from data collected by the Mars Global Surveyor. The dashed lines on the map surround the base of the Martian volcano Olympus Mons.

mapping_files/i0640000.jpg
 

54. 

In which hemisphere is the area on the map?
 

55. 

The circumference of Mars is 21 200 km. What is the approximate distance of each degree of latitude on Mars?
 

56. 

How far does the base of Olympus Mons stretch from north to south? (Hint: Use your answer from question 5 to convert degrees to kilometers.)
 

57. 

Can you estimate how far the base of Olympus Mons stretches from east to west with the same accuracy? Explain why or why not.
 

58. 

The top of Olympus Mons is the highest point on Mars. It is 27 km above the average elevation on Mars. (Because Mars has no oceans, its elevations cannot be defined with respect to sea level.) By comparison, the highest point on Earth, Mt. Everest, is 8850 m above sea level. How many times higher than Mt. Everest is Olympus Mons?
 



 
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