What type of shutter exposes the whole negative at once?

The correct choice is the aerial camera shutter. This type of shutter is designed to expose the entire photographic negative simultaneously, which is crucial for capturing large areas in a single shot, typically for aerial photography purposes. Aerial cameras are specifically engineered to operate at higher altitudes and faster speeds, enabling them to take pictures of the ground with minimal distortion and maximum coverage.

In typical applications, especially in aerial surveys or mapping, the ability to expose the whole negative at once ensures that the entire scene is captured under uniform lighting conditions, which is essential for maintaining the consistency and quality of the photographs used in professional surveying and cartography.

Focal plane shutters, on the other hand, operate by allowing light to strike the film through a small opening that moves across the film; thus, they don't expose the entire negative at once. Mechanical shutters generally refer to a variety of designs used in different cameras but don't specifically have the same function as an aerial camera shutter. The term "aerial camera components" does not refer to a specific type of shutter and is not relevant to how exposure is achieved in photography.