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Why isn't the scale map always the same?

Updated: 8/21/2019
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Q: Why isn't the scale map always the same?
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In which map scale the numerator is always 1?

representative fraction


On a map scale how many miles would 2.5 inches equal?

It depends on the scale to which the map has been drawn. Not all maps are the same scale.


Why are map scales different on some maps?

Because some maps want to show a larger area than others, so to fit everything on a piece of paper they have to change the scale.


Why is the inset map drawn to a larger scale than the other map?

Aha! Mapmakers have, by customary usage among the trade, been causing confusion on the relationship between scale and size. This question is the result of confusing people when discussing cartography. In this answer, I will explain why "Why is the inset map drawn to a larger scale than the other map?"results from a common cartographical misunderstanding, and set the record straight. Map scale is a fraction where the numerator is always 1. To put it more exactly, Map scale is the ratio of map distance to the same distance in the real landscape. Another way to think about scale is to consider how much a real land area would need to be shrunk down to fit in the map display you are using. Take Australia and shrink it by an enormous number (a scale of 1/enormous) to make it small enough to fit on a map display area. If you wanted to make a map the area of the city of Sydney that would fit on the same size map display, Sydney being smaller in land area, would need to be shrunk by less, (using a map scale of 1/less than enormous). The confusion about scale began when mapmakers, who noticed that the numerator of the scale was always 1, began to leave off saying the scale numerator and, as a shortcut, refer to the scale by using just the denominator value. This hasty habit resulted in describing a map where the scale denominator is very large as a large scale map. Having created a scaled map of Sydney, you create another map showing Australia with a dot at Sydney's location to use as in index. The scale ratio for the inset map has to be a smaller fraction to appear within the main map. Thus, smaller scale maps show larger areas of land on the same size map display. That's opposite from normal use of the word size as in shoe size, where bigger sizes cover bigger areas, just the opposite of map scales. The answer is that an index map is always drawn using a smaller scale than the scale used on the main map.


Why is the inset map drawn to a larger scale than other maps?

Aha! Mapmakers have, by customary usage among the trade, been causing confusion on the relationship between scale and size. This question is the result of confusing people when discussing cartography. In this answer, I will explain why "Why is the inset map drawn to a larger scale than the other map?"results from a common cartographical misunderstanding, and set the record straight. Map scale is a fraction where the numerator is always 1. To put it more exactly, Map scale is the ratio of map distance to the same distance in the real landscape. Another way to think about scale is to consider how much a real land area would need to be shrunk down to fit in the map display you are using. Take Australia and shrink it by an enormous number (a scale of 1/enormous) to make it small enough to fit on a map display area. If you wanted to make a map the area of the city of Sydney that would fit on the same size map display, Sydney being smaller in land area, would need to be shrunk by less, (using a map scale of 1/less than enormous). The confusion about scale began when mapmakers, who noticed that the numerator of the scale was always 1, began to leave off saying the scale numerator and, as a shortcut, refer to the scale by using just the denominator value. This hasty habit resulted in describing a map where the scale denominator is very large as a large scale map. Having created a scaled map of Sydney, you create another map showing Australia with a dot at Sydney's location to use as in index. The scale ratio for the inset map has to be a smaller fraction to appear within the main map. Thus, smaller scale maps show larger areas of land on the same size map display. That's opposite from normal use of the word size as in shoe size, where bigger sizes cover bigger areas, just the opposite of map scales. The answer is that an index map is always drawn using a smaller scale than the scale used on the main map.


What do you call a scale map?

I just call it a map. Scale is the size of the map relative to the reality. If you draw a map of your bedroom that is the same size as your bedroom, it has a scale of 1:1. I use a map of my town that is 1:100,000 (one centimetre equals one kilometre).


Why does 1 inch not equal the same amount of miles on every map?

Some maps show larger territories and it is necessary to reduce the scale to fit everything on the page. A map of your state and a map of your town wouldn't fit on the same piece of paper at the same scale.


How many miles would three inches equal on a classroom atlas?

It depends on the scale of the map you're looking at in the atlas. (That's why the scale is always printed somewhere on the map.)


Is distortion greater with a small scale map or a large scale map?

Map distortion is due to the fact that the earth's surface is curved but maps are flat. The more curved the surface that a map represents, the more distortion. For the same size map, one with a smaller scale encompasses a larger surface area of the earth when compared to one with a larger scale. Therefore, the one with a smaller scale will have more distortion.


Is a contour interval for a given topographic map always the same?

A contour interval for a given topographic map always the same is true; not false.


Does a Ratio scale and fractional scale represent the same distance on map?

I don't know. Maybe you should study!


What measures distance on a map?

The SCALE of the map indicates the relationship between distances measured on a map and the actual distances.