CST Level 1 Land Surveyor Certification Practice

What method is used in the Missing Line Method?

1. Using GPS

2. Using the law of sines

3. Using the law of cosines

4. Using triangulation

The correct answer is: Using the law of cosines

The Missing Line Method typically utilizes the law of cosines. This method is particularly effective in situations where you need to determine the length of a side in a triangle when you have two sides and the included angle. By applying the law of cosines, surveyors can calculate the missing distance accurately, which is crucial for ensuring precise measurements in land surveying. The law of cosines is expressed mathematically as \( c^2 = a^2 + b^2 - 2ab \cdot \cos(C) \), where \( c \) is the side opposite the angle \( C \), and \( a \) and \( b \) are the lengths of the other two sides. This formula allows surveyors to work with non-right triangles efficiently, making it a key tool in their calculations. While other methods like triangulation, using GPS, or the law of sines can be valuable in surveying, they serve different specific purposes and are not the core methodology behind the Missing Line Method. Triangulation, for instance, involves measuring angles from fixed points to locate an unknown point, and GPS provides global positioning data but does not specifically relate to the calculations needed in this context. The law of sines can be used for other situations,