©Jason McConnel 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
CONS 127 Final Exam Questions With
Correct Answers A+
Latitude - Answer✔Angle describing East/West position
Longitude - Answer✔Angle describing North/South position
Parallel - Answer✔Circle connecting locations within a given latitude
Three ways we can describe Earth's shape - Answer✔Sphere/ellipsoid/geoid
Only correct representation of Earth's surface - Answer✔geoid
Main difference between equivalent and conformal projection - Answer✔Equivalent- Areas of
countries and continents are preserved. Conformal projection- angles between positions are
preserved.
How was a metre first defined? - Answer✔One ten millionth of distance from the Equator to the
North Pole
How is it defined now? - Answer✔Based on the speed of light and defined by the length of the
path travelled by light in a vacuum during a time interval of 1/299 792 485 of a second
What is the name of the unit which is equal to 1000 nm? - Answer✔1 micrometer
Which covers more area, a small or a large scale map? - Answer✔Small scale map
What are two ways scale can be indicated on a map? - Answer✔graphic scale and fractional
scale
What kind of map scale would be appropriate for representing large countries and/or continents?
For a city neighbourhood? - Answer✔Graphic scale used for small scale maps. Verbal scale for
city/neighbourhood.
What are two ways scale can be indicated on a map? - Answer✔Graphic scales or fractional
scales
Who wrote the soundtrack to The Powers of Ten? - Answer✔Elmer Bernstein
What is relative positioning? Vs absolute positioning? - Answer✔Relative- relates to landmarks
and other features around you. Absolute- uses coordinates, fixed position
1|Page
, ©Jason McConnel 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Prior to 1800, what was the underlying principal behind positioning? - Answer✔Dead reckoning
(use previously determined position and advancing the position based on estimated speed over
time)
What are the two aspects of a position that need to be measured? - Answer✔??
Name some 3 devices which can measure distances at different scales? - Answer✔Electron
microscope, optical microscope, cameras
What is a geodetic marker? - Answer✔Basis for mapping of Earth's surface
In Ocean navigation which is easier to calculate, latitude or longitude? - Answer✔Latitude is
easier to calculate
Describe how the altitude-intercept model can be used to find a position on the Earth's surface.
How does this method differ from previous positioning methods? - Answer✔Requires the
observer knows the time at Greenwich at the moment of observation. If you know what time it is
when you're at sea and at Greenwich, having the difference you can calculate the longitude. Dead
reckoning// a method of establishing a fix by measuring the altitude of a celestial body from the
true position and comparing this with the calculated
What is the critical measurement to obtain an accurate longitude? - Answer✔Time
What are the ways that we can define space? - Answer✔No district boundary between Earth and
space. Could look at it as middle atmosphere or after upper atmosphere
What is an orbit? - Answer✔Curved path around celestial object
Which type of orbit would be used to monitor weather? - Answer✔Geostationary orbit
Which type of orbit is used for GPS tracking? - Answer✔Far-elliptical orbit used for GPS
Which orbit is best for getting to and returning from space easily? - Answer✔Low earth orbit
About how long does it take for astronauts to get to the ISS? - Answer✔3 days
Which orbit type are most remote sensing satellites in? Why? - Answer✔Most are in low-earth
orbit because it is temporary and closest to the earth
Name three types of satellites (i.e. performing different functions) that use geostationary orbits? -
Answer✔Weather forecasting, satellite radio, satellite tv
Which author conceived of geostationary orbits before their applications were fully considered? -
Answer✔Arthur C. Clarke
What does GNSS stand for? How does it differ from GPS? - Answer✔Global Navigation
Satellite System. Describes satellites: GPS, Glonass, Galileo
What is the minimum number of satellite needed for an accurate positional location? -
Answer✔Three, but four satellites for a more accurate position
2|Page
CONS 127 Final Exam Questions With
Correct Answers A+
Latitude - Answer✔Angle describing East/West position
Longitude - Answer✔Angle describing North/South position
Parallel - Answer✔Circle connecting locations within a given latitude
Three ways we can describe Earth's shape - Answer✔Sphere/ellipsoid/geoid
Only correct representation of Earth's surface - Answer✔geoid
Main difference between equivalent and conformal projection - Answer✔Equivalent- Areas of
countries and continents are preserved. Conformal projection- angles between positions are
preserved.
How was a metre first defined? - Answer✔One ten millionth of distance from the Equator to the
North Pole
How is it defined now? - Answer✔Based on the speed of light and defined by the length of the
path travelled by light in a vacuum during a time interval of 1/299 792 485 of a second
What is the name of the unit which is equal to 1000 nm? - Answer✔1 micrometer
Which covers more area, a small or a large scale map? - Answer✔Small scale map
What are two ways scale can be indicated on a map? - Answer✔graphic scale and fractional
scale
What kind of map scale would be appropriate for representing large countries and/or continents?
For a city neighbourhood? - Answer✔Graphic scale used for small scale maps. Verbal scale for
city/neighbourhood.
What are two ways scale can be indicated on a map? - Answer✔Graphic scales or fractional
scales
Who wrote the soundtrack to The Powers of Ten? - Answer✔Elmer Bernstein
What is relative positioning? Vs absolute positioning? - Answer✔Relative- relates to landmarks
and other features around you. Absolute- uses coordinates, fixed position
1|Page
, ©Jason McConnel 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Prior to 1800, what was the underlying principal behind positioning? - Answer✔Dead reckoning
(use previously determined position and advancing the position based on estimated speed over
time)
What are the two aspects of a position that need to be measured? - Answer✔??
Name some 3 devices which can measure distances at different scales? - Answer✔Electron
microscope, optical microscope, cameras
What is a geodetic marker? - Answer✔Basis for mapping of Earth's surface
In Ocean navigation which is easier to calculate, latitude or longitude? - Answer✔Latitude is
easier to calculate
Describe how the altitude-intercept model can be used to find a position on the Earth's surface.
How does this method differ from previous positioning methods? - Answer✔Requires the
observer knows the time at Greenwich at the moment of observation. If you know what time it is
when you're at sea and at Greenwich, having the difference you can calculate the longitude. Dead
reckoning// a method of establishing a fix by measuring the altitude of a celestial body from the
true position and comparing this with the calculated
What is the critical measurement to obtain an accurate longitude? - Answer✔Time
What are the ways that we can define space? - Answer✔No district boundary between Earth and
space. Could look at it as middle atmosphere or after upper atmosphere
What is an orbit? - Answer✔Curved path around celestial object
Which type of orbit would be used to monitor weather? - Answer✔Geostationary orbit
Which type of orbit is used for GPS tracking? - Answer✔Far-elliptical orbit used for GPS
Which orbit is best for getting to and returning from space easily? - Answer✔Low earth orbit
About how long does it take for astronauts to get to the ISS? - Answer✔3 days
Which orbit type are most remote sensing satellites in? Why? - Answer✔Most are in low-earth
orbit because it is temporary and closest to the earth
Name three types of satellites (i.e. performing different functions) that use geostationary orbits? -
Answer✔Weather forecasting, satellite radio, satellite tv
Which author conceived of geostationary orbits before their applications were fully considered? -
Answer✔Arthur C. Clarke
What does GNSS stand for? How does it differ from GPS? - Answer✔Global Navigation
Satellite System. Describes satellites: GPS, Glonass, Galileo
What is the minimum number of satellite needed for an accurate positional location? -
Answer✔Three, but four satellites for a more accurate position
2|Page
