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GPS: From Signals to Location

Students combine a GPS article, a process chart, and simulated test results to explain how satellite signals help receivers find locations.

Grade 6ELAInteractive · Printable

Aligned toRI.6.7

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What’s included

Single worksheet
Auto-graded online
1 Common Core standard
Printable answer key
13 questions
Classroom-ready

Details

Format: Interactive · Printable
Grade: Grade 6
Subject: ELA
Question types: Multiple choice, Circle the answer, Short answer

About this worksheet

What students practice

Students combine information from an article and charts to explain how GPS determines location.
Students use text and simulated results to distinguish supported conclusions from overgeneralizations.

How to use

Have students read the article and both charts before answering. Ask them to identify which source supplies each part of their reasoning.

Curriculum

Common Core standard covered

RI.6.7

Combine information from words with information in other media or formats, such as charts or video, to understand a topic.

Preview

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GPS: From Signals to Location

Combine an article, a process chart, and test results.

Read the Sources

Read the article and study both charts. The test results describe a simplified simulation, not guaranteed real-world performance.

How Does a Receiver Know Where It Is?

1A map app can place a dot near your location, even when you have not typed an address. One tool behind that dot is the Global Positioning System, or GPS. Satellites orbiting Earth broadcast radio signals. A GPS receiver, such as one inside a phone, listens to those signals. It does not need to send a message back to the satellites to calculate its location.

2Each satellite signal includes information about the satellite’s position and when the signal was sent. Radio signals travel at the speed of light. By comparing the sending time with the arrival time, a receiver estimates how long the signal traveled. That travel time helps it calculate a distance. Even a tiny timing error can produce a large distance error.

3Knowing the distance to one satellite does not reveal one exact location. Many places could be that distance away. Measurements from additional satellites narrow the possibilities. In a basic GPS calculation, the receiver needs signals from at least four satellites to solve for its three-dimensional position and correct an error in its own clock. The receiver’s clock is not as precise as the satellites’ clocks.

4Getting enough signals is important, but signal quality matters too. Buildings can block signals or reflect them. A reflected signal travels an extra distance before reaching the receiver. If the receiver treats that longer trip as a direct path, its distance estimate can be wrong. An open view of the sky often helps, but it does not promise a perfectly accurate result.

5The process chart breaks the calculation into steps. The simulation table shows what happened when the same receiver model was tested in different surroundings. A position estimate means that the receiver calculated a location; it does not mean that location was exact. Also, GPS and the map displayed on a screen are different things. A receiver can calculate coordinates without downloading a street map, although an app may need an internet connection to load map details.

Chart A: A Simplified GPS Calculation
Step	Information or action
1. Receive	Read positions and signal sending times.
2. Compare	Compare sending and arrival times.
3. Estimate	Use travel times to estimate distances.
4. Combine	Solve position and clock error.
5. Display	Place calculated coordinates on a map.