Map Scales

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Map Scales

• CGC1D

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Introduction to Map Scales

• A map scale represents the relationship between
  distance on the map and distance in the real
  world.
• Map scales are used to calculate
• The distance between two points
• The size or area of a geographic feature, such as
  a Province, City or Lake

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Types of Map Scales

• Direct Statement Scale uses words to describe
  what a distance on a map represents in the real
  world
• For Example 1 cm 10 kilometers
• To determine the distance on a map with a direct
  statement scale, measure the distance between the
  two places. Calculate the distance based on the
  scale.
• For example, if you measured it to be 3cm between
  the two places, you would calculate it like so
• 1 cm 10 km
• (3 x 1) cm (3 x 10) km
• 3 cm 30 km
• Therefore, the actual distance between the two
  locations is 30 km.

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Types of Map Scales

• Linear Scale is like a special kind of ruler that
  is divided into units of distance
• With this type of map scale, you would need to
  use the linear line as a reference to determine
  how many kilometers one cm would represent in
  real life.

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Move the mark from step three to 0 on the line
scale and measure the remaining distance
Make a mark on your paper at the right end of
the scale
Calculate the total distance between Kingston and
Cornwall by adding together the two distances you
measured. The distance between Kingston and
Cornwall is 180 km.
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Types of Map Scales

• Representative Fraction Scale is a ratio where
  one unit on a map represents a specific number of
  the same unit in the real world
• 150 000
• For this example, 1 cm on the map represents 50
  000 cm in the real world or 0.5km)

Represents the distance on the map
Represents the distance on the Earths surface
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Scale Conversions

• 1 km 1000m
• 1 m 100 cm
• 1 km (1000 x 100) cm 100 000 cm

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Converting an R.F. Scale to a Direct Statement
Scale

• To convert an R.F. scale to a direct statement
  scale, divide the denominator by 100,000, to
  change into kilometers. Use the following
  process
• 1 cm 50 000 cm
• 1 cm (50 000 100 000) km
• 1 cm 0.5 km or 1 cm to 500 m

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Converting a Direct Statement Scale to R.F. Scale

• To convert from a direct statement scale back to
  an R.F. scale, multiply the number of kilometres
  by 100 000
• 1 cm 2.5 km
• 1 cm (2.5 x 100 000) cm
• 1 cm 250 000 cm or 1 250 000

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Examples

• Convert the representative fraction to a direct
  statement 1 250 000
• Convert the direct statement scale to an R.F.
  scale 1 cm to 5 km

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Practice Map Scale

• From your textbook
• Page 47
• Questions 1 to 10, 13