Question

Which one of the following is not the reason for development of cumulative/ or systematic errors in the surveying process?

• A. Displacement of arrows or station marks
• B. Expansion of steel tape
• C. Effect of tension on the tape
• D. Badly adjusted instrument

Hint:

Cumulative (systematic) errors are errors that occur in the same direction every time and tend to add up. They arise from definite causes such as temperature, tension and faulty instruments.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Recall the two error families.
Cumulative (systematic) errors happen in the same direction each time and pile up, while accidental (random) errors can go either way.

Step 2: List what causes systematic errors.
Steady causes like temperature change, tape tension and a faulty instrument always shift the reading the same way.

Step 3: Match the options.
Expansion of the steel tape, the effect of tension, and a badly adjusted instrument are all steady, repeating causes, so they are systematic.

Step 4: Look at the odd one.
Displacement of arrows or station marks is a careless, one-off mistake that may add or subtract unpredictably.

Step 5: Classify the odd one.
That makes it an accidental (random) or even a gross error, not a cumulative one.

Step 6: State the answer.
So the cause that is NOT systematic is the displacement of arrows or station marks.
\[ \boxed{\text{Displacement of arrows or station marks}} \]