Measuring and design instruments

Measuring and design instruments

MAPPING

Mapping is the job of a mapmaker or cartographer, who puts a lot of information into a format that people can understand or learn from. There are different types of maps that give different types of information:

- Physical maps show landforms, mountains, deserts and lakes. They explain differences in elevation through hypsometric* tints or changes in colour. Topographic maps show the shape and elevation of the land through contour lines.

• Political maps offer cultural information about countries (such as their borders and main cities) and some physical characteristics (like oceans, rivers and lakes).

• Thematic maps give information about specific subjects such as population density, natural resources, climate, primary imports and exports. Some specialised thematic maps show information that can be useful to analyse different kinds of trends. A map showing the communication costs in different parts of the world, for example, could help a non-profit organisation to decide where to build a low-cost wireless network.

Photogrammetry

For large extensions, aerial photography and photogrammetry are an economical means of providing detailed maps.

Photogrammetry is a measurement technology that can determine the three-dimensional coordinates of points of an object using different photographic images taken from different elevated positions.

A line of sight (ray) can be constructed from the camera location to the point on the object. It is the intersection of these rays (triangulation) that determines the three-dimensional location of the point. This kind of technology is used in different fields, such as topographic mapping, engineering, architecture, police investigation, geology, archaeology and also in movie post-production.

Open Ended

Read the text and answer the following questions.

1 What do physical maps show and explain?

Open Ended

2 What kind of information do political maps offer?

Open Ended

3 What kind of information do thematic maps offer?

Open Ended

4 Can you explain what photogrammetry is?

Open Ended

5 What kind of measurements does it provide?

Open Ended

6 Which fields is it used in?

Multiple Select

Match the words from the text with their definitions.

1 elevation

• height above sea level

• something useful that can be used to increase the wealth of a country

• tendency, a development of events the shape or outline of an object

• one or two numbers or letters indicating a particular point on a map

Multiple Select

contour

• height above sea level

• something useful that can be used to increase the wealth of a country

• tendency, a development of events

• the shape or outline of an object

• one or two numbers or letters indicating a particular point on a map

Multiple Select

resource

• height above sea level

• something useful that can be used to increase the wealth of a country

• tendency, a development of events

• the shape or outline of an object

• one or two numbers or letters indicating a particular point on a map

Multiple Select

trend

• height above sea level

• something useful that can be used to increase the wealth of a country

• tendency, a development of events

• the shape or outline of an object

• one or two numbers or letters indicating a particular point on a map

Multiple Select

coordinate

• height above sea level

• l something useful that can be used to increase the wealth of a country

• tendency, a development of events

• the shape or outline of an object

• one or two numbers or letters indicating a particular point on a map

Multiple Select

resource

• height above sea level

• something useful that can be used to increase the wealth of a country

• tendency, a development of events

• the shape or outline of an object

• one or two numbers or letters indicating a particular point on a map