CST Level 1 Land Surveyor Certification Practice

Which procedure would result in the largest error in a 100-foot standardized steel tape?

1. Steel tape is 2 feet off line

2. Steel tape on a 5% slope without correcting

3. Tape is supported throughout with too much tension

4. Suspended tape is supported at both ends with 10 lbs. of tension

The correct answer is: Steel tape on a 5% slope without correcting

The procedure that would result in the largest error with a 100-foot standardized steel tape occurs when the tape is placed on a 5% slope without any correction for slope. When measuring distances, the standard assumption is that the tape is laid out horizontally. However, if the tape is on a slope, the actual horizontal distance measured will be shorter than the length of the tape. This is due to the geometry of right triangles, where the hypotenuse (the tape) is longer than the adjacent side (the horizontal distance). Given a 5% slope, for every 100 feet of horizontal distance, the vertical rise would be 5 feet. This results in a significant portion of the measured distance not being representative of true horizontal measurement, leading to a considerable error. Other scenarios, such as having the tape 2 feet off line or too much tension, do impact measurements but are less significant than the effect of slope. The suspended tape supported at both ends with tension might also introduce some measurement error, but when compared to the slope scenario, it does not produce as large an error because it is primarily concerned with the tension on the tape, which typically has a comparatively minor impact as long as the tape isn't excessively stretched. Therefore, working