Which units are commonly used in US Coordinate Systems?

Study for the GIS Professional Certification Exam. Prepare with flashcards and multiple-choice questions, each question includes hints and explanations. Get ready for your certification!

The correct answer is that International Feet and Meters are commonly used in US Coordinate Systems because these units provide flexibility and compatibility with various geographic data formats and applications.

International Feet, which is defined as precisely 0.3048 meters, is often used in engineering and surveying contexts. This unit is advantageous because it aligns with common practices in the United States, where many land surveys and property descriptions historically specified distances in feet.

On the other hand, Meters are integral to modern geospatial systems and international standards, particularly in contexts involving GPS and global geospatial applications. The use of meters supports interoperability with global datasets, which are typically expressed in metric units, facilitating data sharing and integration.

Together, these units cater to both traditional American practices and international standards, ensuring that GIS professionals can effectively work within different contexts and datasets.

While options that suggest using only Meters or only International Feet limit the range of coordinate systems applicable in the US, stating that only US Survey Feet is applicable overlooks the broader use of metrics for global compatibility.

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