What is the central meridian for Zone III of the Philippine plane coordinate system?

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Multiple Choice

What is the central meridian for Zone III of the Philippine plane coordinate system?

Explanation:
The central meridian is the longitude used as the reference line for the transverse Mercator projection in a given zone, and it’s chosen to keep distortion low across that zone. For Zone III of the Philippine plane coordinate system, that reference longitude is 121° East. Centering the projection on 121° helps ensure measurements and shapes stay as true as possible for locations within Zone III. The other longitudes wouldn’t provide that balanced center for Zone III—117° would be farther west, and 123° farther east—leading to more distortion for points in Zone III. So 121° is the best fit as the central meridian for Zone III.

The central meridian is the longitude used as the reference line for the transverse Mercator projection in a given zone, and it’s chosen to keep distortion low across that zone. For Zone III of the Philippine plane coordinate system, that reference longitude is 121° East. Centering the projection on 121° helps ensure measurements and shapes stay as true as possible for locations within Zone III. The other longitudes wouldn’t provide that balanced center for Zone III—117° would be farther west, and 123° farther east—leading to more distortion for points in Zone III. So 121° is the best fit as the central meridian for Zone III.

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