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Difficulty: MediumElementary Surveying Instruments and Fieldwork

During a chain survey along a baseline, a student uses a steel measuring tape that is shorter than its standard designated length. Which type of error will consistently accumulate in the total recorded distance?

  1. Cumulative errorAnswer
  2. B
    Compensating error
  3. C
    Personal error
  4. D
    Accidental error

Answer

Cumulative error
Using an instrument with a fixed structural defect, such as a tape shorter than standard length, causes the measurement discrepancy to accumulate continuously in one direction throughout the survey. This defines a cumulative (systematic) error.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the nature of the faulty instrument
The measuring tape is shorter than its standard length.
Using a shorter tape means every single chain length laid out on the ground will record a value higher than actual distance.
2
Determine the impact of the fault over multiple measurements
The error constantly adds up in the same direction throughout the fieldwork.
Errors that continuously build up in one direction are classified as cumulative or systematic errors.

Key Concept

Classification of Errors in Elementary Surveying
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Topics

Elementary Surveying Instruments and Fieldwork

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