Unit 2: pos/neg map types

Question 1

dot maps

Answer 1

pos: visual so easy to understand, easy to compare distribution - easy to interpit data

neg: no value - false sense of emptiness, dots can overlap and becomes hard to read - can mess up data if viewer becomes confused

Question 2

isoline maps

Answer 2

pos: shows gradual change over a large area - uses fixed intervals so change is easily identified, can add colour,

neg: shading imples equal values between isolines, small lines and numbers can be difficult to read, requires data from large numbers of locations - time consuming

Question 3

choropleth maps

Answer 3

pos: shows large amount of data and patterns, colour and shading shows a range of values - easy distinction between areas, clear grouping of data is shown, easy to interpret data spread as its visual

neg: intervals and class sizes need to be chosen carefully to avoid confusion, can be difficult to distinguish between colours and patters, could have variations of data that is not displayed

Question 4

proportional symbols

Answer 4

pos: illustrates diffs between places - easy to understand, summarises large amounts of data in a visual form, easy to read cause symbol is proportional to its value

neg: difficult to calc actual value if its not shown, time consuming to construct

Question 5

flow maps

Answer 5

pos: scale/width pf lines are porportioanlk to its actual value - clear representation of data, immediate visual impression, clear location component,

neg: hard to draw, distance/direction might be distorted to achieve a clearer image - distorts actual data, flows could overlap and become hard to identify, hard to show starting point without overwhelming map

Question 6

sphere of influence

Answer 6

pos: shows differences of data between many places - good for comparisons, summarises lots of data in visual form - aids comprehension, easy top read

neg: time consuming to construct, size of symbol can cover location on the map, doesn’t show consistencies or reveal patterns

Question 7

transects

Answer 7

pos: can be compared to other cross sections, several transects from same starting point can still be compared

neg: a single one is useless - needs multiple to compare , exaggerated vertical scales can be misleading, only a small snapshot in time as data is constantly changing, time consuming to collect/accurately