This lab will allow you to see what a projection does, and gives you some more experience with the ArcView interface.
Open ArcView using the Start button in the bottom left of the Windows screen.
Drag up to ESRI then ArcView then ArcView 3.2 (may say 3.0)
When it starts, select Open existing project.
Set the disk to L: navigate to the Geog258 folder. Open lab5.apr. (highlight it on the left half when you see it).
[Please remember NOT to save changes!]
This should open a project with a single view (Open the view if it doesn't open itself.) of the countries of the world and a coarse graticule (lines of latitude and longitude with 30 degree spacing).
Turn on the themes you want to see. The default is "geographic", a cyclindric projection that treats each degree as equal.
Under Themes select Properties; select the projections button. You will come back here to try a number of different projections.
Under Projections of the World try Mercator, Peters and some others:
What remains consistent (hint it is about the graticule)
What changes (particularly in terms of scale)?
Under projections for a hemisphere (remember to set the center point to some where you care about), try the stereographic, and the gnomonic.
Why does this only work for a hemisphere?
Under projections for USA, try Albers and Lambert (set a center of -95 (W) and 45N for your classic look...
What happens around the edges?
Can you see any difference between the equal area Albers and the "conformal" Lambert?