Projections

 

    This week in lab we did a lot! First we started off with learning how to collect data and make it sharable. This was really interesting because it opened up my eyes to how many things data collection could be used for in everyday life. We also explored map projections and how they can distort certain polygons on the map.  Map projections make it easier for when you're taking a 3-d shape of the world and laying it on a flat surface to make a 2-d map, while trying to keep shape and sizes relevant to the original. We also learned that not all projections are going to give you the same account, even if they are in the same location. In the map above, we used three different map projections, Albers, UTM 16, and Florida State Plane, on the state of Florida and looked at how they affected the area of selected counties. The map projections were pretty consistent with the counties farther north, but the ones closer to the equator had more distortion between them. You can also look at the table of the selected counties and see that the area for the first two counties and then there is a change. Working with different map projections can  be helpful when making a map of a particular area that requires the map area to be identicle to the original and can you can find the one that works the best.