In GPS, the process used to determine distance to satellites is called __________.

In GPS, the process used to determine distance to satellites is called __________.

• A. RANGING
• B. TRILATERATION
• C. TRIANGULATION
• D. SIGNALING

Answer: (A)

In GPS, the distance to each satellite is found by measuring how long the radio signal takes to travel from the satellite to the receiver and then converting that time into distance using the speed of light. This distance measurement is called ranging (often expressed as a pseudorange because the receiver’s clock isn’t perfectly synchronized with GPS time). Once you have the ranges to multiple satellites, you use them to solve for your position with trilateration. Triangulation would rely on angles, which GPS does not use to determine distance. Trilateration is the method used to compute position from known distances, not the act of measuring distance itself. Signaling isn’t the measurement process.

In GPS, the distance to each satellite is found by measuring how long the radio signal takes to travel from the satellite to the receiver and then converting that time into distance using the speed of light. This distance measurement is called ranging (often expressed as a pseudorange because the receiver’s clock isn’t perfectly synchronized with GPS time). Once you have the ranges to multiple satellites, you use them to solve for your position with trilateration.

Triangulation would rely on angles, which GPS does not use to determine distance. Trilateration is the method used to compute position from known distances, not the act of measuring distance itself. Signaling isn’t the measurement process.