GEOG 150 EXAM QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED SOLUTIONS LATEST UPDATE 2026
GIS components - Answers hardware, software, data, people, methods
2 most common ways to organize data - Answers thematic (real time categories, i.e. streets)
Temporal (by time) (i.e. extent of forest clear cutting at a particular time, since only one instance of
time is used, this is temporal)
three main types of categories of reference systems in GIS analysis - Answers 1) census geography
(Postal codes)
- Geographic identifier reference system
2) Geocoding (postal adress)
-linear referencing system
3) Latitude, longitudes (degrees, mins.)
-coordinate referencing system
3 types of scales of distance - Answers fractional scale: numerical expression (1:1000)
Verbal scale: written expression (1cm to 1km)
Graphic scale: calibrated bar or line
3 perspectives of GIS - Answers 1) database view
2) map view (revisualization perspective)
3) model view (geoprocessing perspective)
types of generalization (5) - Answers 1) classification: expressing the key characteristic of a
distribution
2) simplification: determining important characteristics of feature attributes and elimination of non
important ones
3) exaggeration: enlarging or or altering the features in order to capture the real world importance
4) symbolization: assigning graphic marks on the maps to features from the real world
5) induction: making reference on relationships among features on the map
3 map design hierarchies (increasing level of map detail) - Answers 1) target audience (public vs.
private, communicate vs. visualize, interactive or not)
2) map components (selecting componenets and arrange map space in harmonious proportions)
3) arranging features (position important features in the visual field of the map layout)
3 classifications for quantitative spatial data - Answers 1) natural breaks (Jenks): bins or classes are
based on natural groupings within the data. the algorithm minimizes the variation within each class
and maximizes the difference between classes
2) equal interval: divides the range of attribute values into equal-sized bins or classes. this
classification is used to highlight the amount of an attribute value relative to other values.
3) quantile: each bin or class contains an equal number of features. Well suited when the data is
linearly distributed as you can specify the number of bins or classes.
9 components of a good map - Answers 1) map title: gives the essence of the map
2) neat line: uses borders and boxes to organize the map content
3) legend: explains what symbols of the map mean
4) north arrow: gives the orientation of the map
5) Scale: outline the level of detail on the map
6) additional images: visually communicates the map's image
7) labels and text: describe their important aspects of the map
8) graticule shows a grid of spatial coordinates for orientation
9) other information data source, data, date of data, projection.
Georeferencing process (3 steps) - Answers 1) define the correct shape of the earth
2) project the spherical earth into a flat plane
3) transform between coordinate systems and datums
mathematical shapes as models - Answers sphere
ellipsoid (shape and bulge accounts for rotation of the earth
geoid
GIS components - Answers hardware, software, data, people, methods
2 most common ways to organize data - Answers thematic (real time categories, i.e. streets)
Temporal (by time) (i.e. extent of forest clear cutting at a particular time, since only one instance of
time is used, this is temporal)
three main types of categories of reference systems in GIS analysis - Answers 1) census geography
(Postal codes)
- Geographic identifier reference system
2) Geocoding (postal adress)
-linear referencing system
3) Latitude, longitudes (degrees, mins.)
-coordinate referencing system
3 types of scales of distance - Answers fractional scale: numerical expression (1:1000)
Verbal scale: written expression (1cm to 1km)
Graphic scale: calibrated bar or line
3 perspectives of GIS - Answers 1) database view
2) map view (revisualization perspective)
3) model view (geoprocessing perspective)
types of generalization (5) - Answers 1) classification: expressing the key characteristic of a
distribution
2) simplification: determining important characteristics of feature attributes and elimination of non
important ones
3) exaggeration: enlarging or or altering the features in order to capture the real world importance
4) symbolization: assigning graphic marks on the maps to features from the real world
5) induction: making reference on relationships among features on the map
3 map design hierarchies (increasing level of map detail) - Answers 1) target audience (public vs.
private, communicate vs. visualize, interactive or not)
2) map components (selecting componenets and arrange map space in harmonious proportions)
3) arranging features (position important features in the visual field of the map layout)
3 classifications for quantitative spatial data - Answers 1) natural breaks (Jenks): bins or classes are
based on natural groupings within the data. the algorithm minimizes the variation within each class
and maximizes the difference between classes
2) equal interval: divides the range of attribute values into equal-sized bins or classes. this
classification is used to highlight the amount of an attribute value relative to other values.
3) quantile: each bin or class contains an equal number of features. Well suited when the data is
linearly distributed as you can specify the number of bins or classes.
9 components of a good map - Answers 1) map title: gives the essence of the map
2) neat line: uses borders and boxes to organize the map content
3) legend: explains what symbols of the map mean
4) north arrow: gives the orientation of the map
5) Scale: outline the level of detail on the map
6) additional images: visually communicates the map's image
7) labels and text: describe their important aspects of the map
8) graticule shows a grid of spatial coordinates for orientation
9) other information data source, data, date of data, projection.
Georeferencing process (3 steps) - Answers 1) define the correct shape of the earth
2) project the spherical earth into a flat plane
3) transform between coordinate systems and datums
mathematical shapes as models - Answers sphere
ellipsoid (shape and bulge accounts for rotation of the earth
geoid
