CST Level 1 Land Surveyor Certification Practice

What does a planimeter typically measure?

1. Volume of land

2. Areas of irregular regions

3. Horizontal distances

4. Material weight

The correct answer is: Areas of irregular regions

A planimeter is a precise tool used in the field of surveying and drafting to measure the area of irregularly shaped regions on a plan or map. When a user traces the perimeter of a shape with the planimeter, it calculates the total area enclosed within those boundaries. This capability makes the planimeter especially valuable in applications where the areas of plots, land parcels, or any irregular shapes need to be determined accurately. This is distinctly different from measuring volume, horizontal distances, or material weight—other quantifiable measures important in surveying and construction but not applicable to what a planimeter does. For example, evaluating volume would typically involve a different set of tools and calculations related to three-dimensional spaces, while horizontal distances are measured using surveying equipment such as total stations or measuring tapes. Material weight, on the other hand, relates to the physical attributes of the materials used in construction and does not pertain to area measurement at all. Therefore, the planimeter's specific function in measuring the area of irregular regions makes it the appropriate answer to this question.