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GS50 projection

GS50 projection is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand GS50 projection rather than just read about it. In short: GS50, also hyphenated as GS-50, is a map projection that was developed by John Parr Snyder of the USGS in 1982. The GS50 projection provides a conformal projection suitable only for maps of the 50 United States.

GS50 projection — main illustration
GS50 projection — illustration

Key takeaways

  • GS50 projection belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect GS50 projection to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of GS50 projection from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

GS50, also hyphenated as GS-50, is a map projection that was developed by John Parr Snyder of the USGS in 1982. The GS50 projection provides a conformal projection suitable only for maps of the 50 United States. Scale varies less than 2% throughout the area covered. Distortion is very low as well. It is not a standard projection in the sense that it uses complex polynomials (of the tenth order) rather than a trigonometric formulation, though it was developed from an oblique stereographic projection.

References

Illustrations

GS50 projection: GS50 projection with 15° graticule
GS50 projection with 15° graticule
GS50 projection: GS50 projection, with lines of constant scale factor superimposed. All 50 states, including islands and passages between Alaska, Hawaii, and the conterminous 48 states are shown with scale factors ranging only from 1.02 to 0.98
GS50 projection, with lines of constant scale factor superimposed. All 50 states, including islands and passages between Alaska, Hawaii, and the conterminous 48 states are shown with scale factors ranging only from 1.02 to 0.98

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with GS50 projection

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what GS50 projection claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to GS50 projection before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about GS50 projection ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of GS50 projection

In research
GS50 projection appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses GS50 projection in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
GS50 projection is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Conformal projections, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for GS50 projection outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study GS50 projection in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what GS50 projection means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain GS50 projection out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is GS50 projection in simple terms?

GS50, also hyphenated as GS-50, is a map projection that was developed by John Parr Snyder of the USGS in 1982. The GS50 projection provides a conformal projection suitable only for maps of the 50 United States.

Why does GS50 projection matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study GS50 projection?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on GS50 projection.

Tags

  • Conformal projections

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