CHAPTER3

MapScales

MapScale

Amapisarepresentationofaportionoftheearth's
surfacereducedtoasmallsize.

Mapscaleindicatestherelationshipbetweenthesizeof
objectsonamapordrawingandtheactualsizeofthe
objects.

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MapScale

Typicallyexpressedinmultiplesoften:

1=10
1=100
1=1000
1=20
1=200
1=2000
1=30
1=300
1=3000

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MapScale

Threecommonmethodsofexpressingscale:

Numericalscaleorrepresentativefraction
Graphicscale
Verbalscale

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NumericalScale

Givestheproportionbetweenthelengthofaline
onamapandthecorrespondinglengthonthe
earthssurface.Thisproportionisknownasthe
representativefraction(RF).
RF=distanceonmap/distanceonearth
Distanceonmapanddistanceonearthare
ALWAYSmeasuredusingthesameunits,
typicallyINCHESorMM.

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NumericalScale

Conversionstoremember:

12inchesperfoot
5280feetpermile
63,360inchespermile

RepresentativeFractionExamples:

1inch=1mile1/63,360or1:63,360
1inch=10feet1/120or1:120
1inch=4miles1/250,000or1:250,000

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NumericalScale

Tocalculatedistance:

MeasurethedistanceonmapmultiplybytheRFdenominator

Calculationexamples:

RF:Scale:1inch=1mile~theRFis1/63,360

RF:Scale:1inch=10feet~theRFis1/120(10ftX12=120)

1inchesonmapX63,360=95,040
95,040/63,360=1miles
2inchesonmapX120=240
240/120=20feet

RF:Scale:1inch=4miles~theRFis1/250,000(4miX63,360)

3inchesonmapX250,000=812,500
8125,500/6336012.82miles

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MapScales

Small RF
denominator =
Large scale

Large RF
denominator =
Small scale

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RF:1:24,000
Scale:1inch=2,000feet
Areashown:1squaremile

RF:1:63,600
Scale:1inch=1mile
Areashown:2.64squaremiles

RF:1:250,000
Scale:1inch4miles
Areashown:10.42squaremiles
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GraphicScale

Amapsownmeasurementinstrument.
Divisionsonthegraphicscalerepresent
incrementsofmeasureeasilyappliedtoamap.
Notstandardized.
Typicallyuserelativelyevenunitsofmeasure,
suchas10milesor1000feet.

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GraphicScale

Examples:

Usingagraphicscale:

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VerbalScale

Distancesusedfordiscussionpurposes.
Acloseapproximationorroughestimateof
actualdistances.
Example:

RF:1/1,000,000
Scale:1inch=15.78miles
Verbalscale:1inchequalsabout16miles

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ConvertingaRepresentativeFractiontoa
GraphicScale

Thefollowingstepsusearepresentativefractionininchesanda
graphicscaleinmiles.
1.

Identifythedesiredgraphicscaleunits(ex.miles).

This is chosen based on the map and what makes sense for
the map.
2. ConverttheRFunitstothegraphicscaleunits(inchestomiles).
Thismilevalue=1inchonthegraphicscale.
Ex. map scale (RF) = 1:100,000 or 1 on map =100000
on earth
Knowing there are 63360 in 1 mile.
Convert RF to Inches and Miles 1 = 1.58 miles
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3.

Identifyapracticalgraphicscalesegmentvalue(miles).

1 = 1.58 miles is not practical for a graphic scale.

Using 2 miles would be more practical for measuring.

4.

Calculatethelengthofeachgraphicscalesegment(inches).

Set up the proportion:

1/1.58miles = ?/2 miles
(1/1.58)*2 = ? Inches
1.266 on the map = 2 miles in real life

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5.Createthegraphicscaleusingsegmentsthelengthofthenumberof
inchesidentifiedinstep4.Eachsegmentrepresentsthenumberofmiles
selectedinstep3.

FollowtheexampleintheConvertingaRepresentativeFraction
toaGraphicScalesectionofChapter3.

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ConvertingaGraphicScaletoa
RepresentativeFraction

ConvertthegraphicscaleunitstotheRFunits.For
example,convertmilestoinches.
Conversionsandvaluestoremember:

1foot=12inches
1mile=5280feet
1mile=63,360inches
1degreeoflatitude=69miles

FollowtheexampleintheConvertingaGraphicScale
toaRepresentativeFractionsectionofChapter3.

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ConvertingaGraphicScaletoa
RepresentativeFraction
Example:Agraphicscaleshows1=10feet
Convertthegraphicscaletothesameunits.
Knowing10=12
1=10X12
1=120
RF=1:120
Example2:Agraphicscale1=12mi.
Converttolikeunits
Knowing1mile=63360
1=12X63600
1=760320
RF=1:760320
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Chapter3Activities

Chapter3TestParts1to3andPart433to35
Chapter3ProblemP31

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