Which instrument is used for copying maps on larger or smaller scale, typically featuring a parallelogram shape joined at the four corners?

Which instrument is used for copying maps on larger or smaller scale, typically featuring a parallelogram shape joined at the four corners?

• A. Pantograph
• B. Light Table
• C. Map Compilation
• D. Spline

Answer: (A)

Copying maps to a different size is done with a pantograph, a drawing instrument built for proportional reproduction. It uses a four-corner parallelogram linkage so that moving the tracer point in the original map drives the drawing point on the output sheet in the same direction but at a different scale. The geometry of the parallelogram preserves orientation and straight lines while the fixed scale ratio between the input and output arms creates a larger or smaller copy of the map. This mechanism makes it possible to increase or reduce maps accurately without redrawing every detail by hand. The other options don’t fit the function: a light table is just a backlit surface for tracing, not scaling; map compilation is the process of assembling maps, not a tool; a spline is a flexible curve used for smooth lines, not for proportional copying between scales.

Copying maps to a different size is done with a pantograph, a drawing instrument built for proportional reproduction. It uses a four-corner parallelogram linkage so that moving the tracer point in the original map drives the drawing point on the output sheet in the same direction but at a different scale. The geometry of the parallelogram preserves orientation and straight lines while the fixed scale ratio between the input and output arms creates a larger or smaller copy of the map. This mechanism makes it possible to increase or reduce maps accurately without redrawing every detail by hand.

The other options don’t fit the function: a light table is just a backlit surface for tracing, not scaling; map compilation is the process of assembling maps, not a tool; a spline is a flexible curve used for smooth lines, not for proportional copying between scales.