CONS 127 Final Exam Questions and Answers Latest Update 2025-2026
What is latitude? - Answers Angle that describes North-South Position.
What is longitude? - Answers Angle that describes East-West Position.
Where is the prime meridian? - Answers 0 degrees longitude, located in Greenwich, England
What is a Parallel? - Answers Circle connecting all location w/ given latitude.
What are the three ways the earth's shape can be mathematically defined? - Answers 1. sphere
- simplest/ least accurate approximation
2. ellipsoid
- mathematical approximation, accounts flattening at poles/ bulges at equator due to
revolutions, direct mathematical computations
3. geoid
- physical approximation of figure of the Earth, used to measure surface elevation w/high
degree of accuracy
(computed w/complex physical models and gravity readings of surface; shape of surface of
calmed oceans in absence of other influences like winds/tides)
What is the only correct representation of the Earth's surface? Why? - Answers 3D globe. It has
all metric properties (area, shape, distance, and location)
Flat 2D surface, only some of these properties can be accurately represented
Every map has some sort of distortion
What is the main difference between an equivalent and conformal projection? - Answers
Equivalent (Conic)
- Earth projected on a cone, shapes distorted but areas preserved
,- Good for representing parts of the Earth and enable direct surface comparisons within the
map
- Examples include Mollweide map and the Gall-peters map
Conformal (Cylindrical)
- Projected on a cylinder, distortion at poles and areas, but angles between positions preserved
- Convenient for sea navigation
- Example, Mercator
Considering the case of Africa and Greenland, describe how map projections might influence
the perspective of the map viewer. - Answers Mercator makes Africa appear smaller than
Greenland. The Mollweide gives countries more realistic proportions, where Greenland is
significantly smaller than Africa.
The Mercator map is the most popular map in the world and the one most viewed by people.
Since Greenland appears bigger than Africa, people may subconsciously believe that Greenland
is superior to Africa. It therefore can be said that map projections can cause things like
Eurocentrism.
How was a Metre first defined? How is it defined now? - Answers The Metre was originally
defined in 1793 as "one ten-millionth of the
distance from the equator to the North Pole".
From 1889 to 1960s, the standard was a platinum and iridium bar stored in the international
bureau of weights and measures in Paris.
Now it's defined based on the speed of light "length of the path travelled by light in vacuum
during a time internal of 1/299 792 458 of a second"
What is the name of the unit which is equal to 1000 nm? - Answers 1000nm= 1 um
1000um= 1mm
(um= micrometers)
, Which covers more area, a small or a large-scale map? - Answers Small scale= large area,
coarse Detail large scale= small area, great detail/accuracy
What are two ways scale can be indicated on a map? - Answers Graphic scale
Bar Scale
Fractional scale
Ratio scale
Verbal scale
What kind of map scale would be appropriate for representing large countries and/or continents?
For a city neighbourhood? - Answers large countries/continents
= 1:20 mill
city neighbourhood
= 1:30 000/ 1:15 000
Worldwide
= 1:40 mill
National
= 1:10 mill
Provincial/Regional
= 1:1 mill
Name some 3 devices which can measure distances at different scales? - Answers Electron
microscope (accelerated electrons source of illumination, observe microorganisms, cells,
molecules, metals, crystals)
Optical microscope (visible light+ system of lenses magnify small particles, magnetic power=
product of power of eye + lens, used in biotech, pharmaceutical research, mineralogy,
microbiology)
Camera (optical device creates images of observed scene, historically record images in film,
now mostly digital, static or movement/video )
What is latitude? - Answers Angle that describes North-South Position.
What is longitude? - Answers Angle that describes East-West Position.
Where is the prime meridian? - Answers 0 degrees longitude, located in Greenwich, England
What is a Parallel? - Answers Circle connecting all location w/ given latitude.
What are the three ways the earth's shape can be mathematically defined? - Answers 1. sphere
- simplest/ least accurate approximation
2. ellipsoid
- mathematical approximation, accounts flattening at poles/ bulges at equator due to
revolutions, direct mathematical computations
3. geoid
- physical approximation of figure of the Earth, used to measure surface elevation w/high
degree of accuracy
(computed w/complex physical models and gravity readings of surface; shape of surface of
calmed oceans in absence of other influences like winds/tides)
What is the only correct representation of the Earth's surface? Why? - Answers 3D globe. It has
all metric properties (area, shape, distance, and location)
Flat 2D surface, only some of these properties can be accurately represented
Every map has some sort of distortion
What is the main difference between an equivalent and conformal projection? - Answers
Equivalent (Conic)
- Earth projected on a cone, shapes distorted but areas preserved
,- Good for representing parts of the Earth and enable direct surface comparisons within the
map
- Examples include Mollweide map and the Gall-peters map
Conformal (Cylindrical)
- Projected on a cylinder, distortion at poles and areas, but angles between positions preserved
- Convenient for sea navigation
- Example, Mercator
Considering the case of Africa and Greenland, describe how map projections might influence
the perspective of the map viewer. - Answers Mercator makes Africa appear smaller than
Greenland. The Mollweide gives countries more realistic proportions, where Greenland is
significantly smaller than Africa.
The Mercator map is the most popular map in the world and the one most viewed by people.
Since Greenland appears bigger than Africa, people may subconsciously believe that Greenland
is superior to Africa. It therefore can be said that map projections can cause things like
Eurocentrism.
How was a Metre first defined? How is it defined now? - Answers The Metre was originally
defined in 1793 as "one ten-millionth of the
distance from the equator to the North Pole".
From 1889 to 1960s, the standard was a platinum and iridium bar stored in the international
bureau of weights and measures in Paris.
Now it's defined based on the speed of light "length of the path travelled by light in vacuum
during a time internal of 1/299 792 458 of a second"
What is the name of the unit which is equal to 1000 nm? - Answers 1000nm= 1 um
1000um= 1mm
(um= micrometers)
, Which covers more area, a small or a large-scale map? - Answers Small scale= large area,
coarse Detail large scale= small area, great detail/accuracy
What are two ways scale can be indicated on a map? - Answers Graphic scale
Bar Scale
Fractional scale
Ratio scale
Verbal scale
What kind of map scale would be appropriate for representing large countries and/or continents?
For a city neighbourhood? - Answers large countries/continents
= 1:20 mill
city neighbourhood
= 1:30 000/ 1:15 000
Worldwide
= 1:40 mill
National
= 1:10 mill
Provincial/Regional
= 1:1 mill
Name some 3 devices which can measure distances at different scales? - Answers Electron
microscope (accelerated electrons source of illumination, observe microorganisms, cells,
molecules, metals, crystals)
Optical microscope (visible light+ system of lenses magnify small particles, magnetic power=
product of power of eye + lens, used in biotech, pharmaceutical research, mineralogy,
microbiology)
Camera (optical device creates images of observed scene, historically record images in film,
now mostly digital, static or movement/video )
