Lab #2: ArcGIS & ArcMap

1. What types of software products are included in ArcGIS and which one will we be
using most in this course?

ArcView, ArcInfo, ArcEditor. We will be using ArcEditor the most in this class.

2. Would it be better to perform most of your data analysis and layer symbolization in
data or layout view? Why?

It would be better to perform most data analysis in data view. This view allows you to explore, query or display information where you can edit or analyze data from a single frame.

3. What are two ways to obtain help for ArcGIS Desktop?

To obtain help either press “shift+F1” or go to http://support.esri.com.

4. How are attributes linked to geographic features?

Attributes are linked to geographic features by a unique ID.

5. What is the file extension of an ArcMap document?

.mxd

6. What are two ways to zoom in/zoom out on a map?

Use the zoom in/ zoom out function on the tool bar by double clicking on an area or by clicking and draging to create a box that highlights a certain area.

7. List three operations available in the ‘context menu’ of a layer. Hint: Right‐clicking
with your mouse in the TOC should help you with this question.

Add data, group layers, open attribute table.

8. If the check box next to a layer in the table of contents is grayed‐out, what does this
mean? How would you resolve this issue?

This layer is to small to be seen at your current veiwing scale. Zoom in to see where this layer is.

9. What are the differences between large and small scale maps? Provide an example of
each.

A large scale map has a small ground area shown with a lot of detail such as a city street map. A small scale map has a large ground area shown with not a lot of detail such as a country map.

10. Describe the differences between features and surfaces. Provide an example for each.

A feature is a geographic object in a layer, such as a lake, river or city. A surface is a xontinuous expanse that changes from one location of another such as an ocean.

11. A GIS is a useful problem‐solving tool. You can do all of the following tasks with it,
except one. Which one?

a. Create project criteria
b. Query data
c. Display data on a report
d. Store project data

Using the existing ArcMap document “Ex03c.mxd”, and the knowledge and skills you have
gained from the Chapter 3 exercises, answer the following questions:

12. What are the minimum and maximum elevations of the cities Earhart visited? Briefly
describe how you determined these values.

The maximum elevation was Tucson at 1045ft, and New Orleans at 0ft. To determine this I accessed the attribute table.

13. On the continent of Africa, what is the approximate distance (in miles) from Dakar to
Assab? What are two techniques (one tool and one process) you could use to figure
this out?

It is appx. 6915 kilometers. One way is to select the attribute table of the flight path and summerize the cities from Dakar to Assab and take the sum of the flight path. The other way is to use the measurement tool and measure from city to city.

14. What are two possible methods you could use to figure out the names of the cities
shown on the map?

One way is to right click and turn the labels on for the cities Earhart visited. Another way is to use the information tool and to select a city.

15. Zoom to the extent of North and South America so that all the cities Earhart visited are
labeled. Capture a screen shot (Alt + PrtScr) of this view and paste into your Word
document (Ctrl+v). Turn in this screen shot with your answers from this sheet.