Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) Practice Exam

Which type of projection uses a cylindrical surface according to the text?

1. Lambert projection

2. Aitoff projection

3. Mercator projection

4. Orthographic projection

The correct answer is: Mercator projection

The Mercator projection utilizes a cylindrical surface for its mapping method. This projection was developed by Gerardus Mercator in 1569 primarily for maritime navigation, as it allows for straight lines representing constant compass bearings, known as rhumb lines. In the Mercator projection, the earth's surface is projected onto a cylinder that is tangent to the equator. The key characteristic of this projection is that it preserves angles and shapes over small areas, making it convenient for navigational purposes. However, it distorts the size and shape of land masses as latitude increases, leading to an exaggerated representation of areas far from the equator. The Lambert projection, while also a commonly used type of map projection, employs a conical surface rather than cylindrical. The Aitoff projection is an interrupted elliptical projection that combines the characteristics of both cylindrical and azimuthal projections. The Orthographic projection represents the Earth from a perspective viewpoint, similar to looking at the globe from space, and is based on a projection to a plane rather than a cylindrical surface. Therefore, the correct identification of the projection that utilizes a cylindrical surface is the Mercator projection.