Lecture 3: Navigation

Question 1

Define Navigation

Answer 1

a set of skills that involve the determination of position, direction and size (length, area)

Question 2

What are the 3 critical measurements for navigation

Answer 2

➢distances between locations
➢directions between locations
➢area of a location

Question 3

What is scale?

Answer 3

the ratio between the size of something and a representation of it( fundamental concept of mapping, like space)

Question 4

What is a map scale?

Answer 4

A scale that shows the ratio between the size of features on the map and the size of the features in the real world

Question 5

What is a representative fraction?

Answer 5

the ratio between the size of features on the map and features in the real world

Question 6

What is a large scale map?

Answer 6

shows a greater amount of detail

E.g., Washington DC as a polygon

Question 7

What is a small scale map?

Answer 7

shows less detail

Question 8

What are the different ways to express map scales?

Answer 8

• scale bar
• ratio (aka representative fraction)
• written text

Question 9

How do you check to see which map is larger?

Answer 9

Convert the scale to decimals

Question 10

What is a unit less scale?

Answer 10

A scale with no units,
1 meter/500 meters = 1 mile/500 miles
The scale is simply 1/500

Question 11

What is the first way to estimate distance on a hard copy map?

Answer 11

Use a ruler to measure the distance on the map, then use the representative fraction to calculate the ground distance

Question 12

What is the second way to estimate distance on a hard copy map?

Answer 12

Use your finger to estimate a ground distance using the scale bar

Question 13

How do you measure distance on a digital map?

Answer 13

Euclidian distance (Distance formula)

Question 14

What are contour lines?

Answer 14

They show topography or changes in elevation

Question 15

What do contour lines show specifically?

Answer 15

• the location of slopes, depressions, ridges, cliffs, height of mountains and hills
• connect all points of the same elevation

Question 16

What is a contour interval?

Answer 16

the difference in elevation between two adjacent contour lines, every fifth line is the index contour is printed darker and has the elevation in feet from mean sea level marked on the line

Question 17

What is Azimuth?

Answer 17

➢measured in degrees: N = 0o , E = 90o , S = 180o , W = 270o , almost N = 359o
➢useful for navigation between two points over short distances
➢Also called a bearing

Question 18

What are cardinal directions?

Answer 18

North, South, East, West

Question 19

How do you find the area of irregular shapes?

Answer 19

for each line segment (in clockwise direction), work out the area down to the x-axis

Question 20

What is Wayfinding?

Answer 20

general methods people and animals use to orient themselves in space and move from place to place
•more about cognitive maps and mental processes