AP Human Geography (APHG) Exam 1 Practice Test

Which statement best describes the relationship between high threshold and large range?

They are commonly found in rural villages for everyday goods.

They result in many small central places with tiny catchment areas.

They indicate a service will be available in most towns.

They are associated with fewer central places but larger catchments.

High threshold and large range mean a service relies on a sizable local population to be viable and that people are willing to travel longer distances to use it. When both conditions are true, only a few locations can support the service because the customer base has to be large enough and spread out enough to justify the investment. As a result, you get fewer central places, but each one serves a much larger catchment area. Examples include regional hospitals or major universities, where the service is important enough to attract people from wide areas.

This differs from everyday goods in rural areas, which typically have low threshold and short range; or from many small centers with tiny catchments, which reflect low thresholds and limited travel distances; or from services available in most towns, which imply low thresholds and smaller catchments.