What does a map key explain?

What does a map key explain?

• A. Symbols
• B. Distances
• C. Elevation
• D. Weather patterns

Answer: (A)

A map key explains symbols. It’s the legend that tells you what the marks, colors, and lines on the map represent—so blue lines show rivers, little dots mark cities, green shading indicates forests, and so on. Without the key, those symbols wouldn’t have meaning. Distances are usually shown with a scale, not the key; elevation is conveyed by contour lines or shading and has its own symbols in the legend; weather patterns appear on weather maps with their own set of symbols.

A map key explains symbols. It’s the legend that tells you what the marks, colors, and lines on the map represent—so blue lines show rivers, little dots mark cities, green shading indicates forests, and so on. Without the key, those symbols wouldn’t have meaning. Distances are usually shown with a scale, not the key; elevation is conveyed by contour lines or shading and has its own symbols in the legend; weather patterns appear on weather maps with their own set of symbols.