Final answer:
A circular surface area can appear as an oval on a map designed to preserve area due to distortions in map projections.
Step-by-step explanation:
A circular surface area, when drawn on a map designed to preserve area, might appear as an oval. This is because a map is a 2D representation of a 3D surface, and when the surface is projected onto the map, distortions can occur. One common map projection, the Mercator projection, stretches areas near the poles, resulting in a distorted representation of circular surface areas. As a result, the circular surface area on the map may appear as an oval.