Prepare for the Besavilla Cartography Exam. Use interactive tools like flashcards and multiple-choice questions with hints and explanations to enhance your skills. Get exam ready today!

Multiple Choice

Which instrument is used to measure angles on maps?

Measuring angles on maps is done with a protractor. A protractor is a curved, degree-marked instrument that lets you gauge the angle between two lines drawn on a map by aligning one line with a baseline (often north or a grid line) and reading the angle where the other line crosses the degree scale. This is essential for determining directions and bearings from a reference line, which is a common task in map plotting and analysis. You place the vertex at the intersection of lines, align the baseline with the reference direction, and read off the angle to quantify the direction of the feature. The other options aren’t tools for measuring angles on maps: a planimetric map is a type of map showing horizontal positions of features, not an instrument; photogrammetry is a technique for extracting measurements from photographs; and the remaining term isn’t a standard instrument used in map-angle measurement.

Measuring angles on maps is done with a protractor. A protractor is a curved, degree-marked instrument that lets you gauge the angle between two lines drawn on a map by aligning one line with a baseline (often north or a grid line) and reading the angle where the other line crosses the degree scale. This is essential for determining directions and bearings from a reference line, which is a common task in map plotting and analysis. You place the vertex at the intersection of lines, align the baseline with the reference direction, and read off the angle to quantify the direction of the feature.

The other options aren’t tools for measuring angles on maps: a planimetric map is a type of map showing horizontal positions of features, not an instrument; photogrammetry is a technique for extracting measurements from photographs; and the remaining term isn’t a standard instrument used in map-angle measurement.