In a Lambert conformal projection, the magnitude of scale distortion for an area map is fixed by which limits?

• A. East and West limits chosen
• B. North and South limits chosen
• C. Central meridian
• D. Standard parallels

Answer: (B)

Lambert conformal conic keeps scale true along two lines called standard parallels, and the scale factor grows as you move away from those parallels. The overall amount of scale distortion across an area map is determined by how far the map’s latitudes extend north and south from those standard parallels. That latitudinal extent—the north-south limits—sets how far you are from the lines where the scale is exact, so it fixes the magnitude of distortion. The central meridian just defines the longitudinal origin, and the east-west limits don’t determine how large the distortion becomes.