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If you take a look at a map, you'll be able to spot a few things, like a 'north' sign, a legend and the scale.

The north sign is used to get an easy orientation, the legend is used to indicate the meaning of all the symbols used in the map and the scale is used to show distances in the map.

The scale is a ratio of distance on the map to the actual distance it is meant to represent on the land.

Example: generally scales are represented as 1:2000000 or 1:1000 or 1:5000 etc., and the commonly used units are cm(centimeters) and mm(millimeters). It means that one unit on the map is the equal to 2000000 units (in case of scale 1:2000000) or 1000 unit (in case of scale 1:1000) on the earth (on actual land).

Let me explain how it works.

If you take a ruler/rule and measure (let's say) 1 unit on a map and multiply it with the denominator i.e., 2000000 for a scale of 1:2000000, 1000 for a scale of 1:1000. So we get:

1unit x 2000000 = 2000000 unit

or

1unit x 1000 = 1000 unit

So it means that 1 unit on the map is equal to 2000000 units on real land.

So if the scale is for centimeters, then it means that 1 cm on the map is equal to 2 kilometers on real land.

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How does a scale strip help you measure distances on a map?

A scale strip is a small ruler with varying units that represents the proportion between a distance on the map and the actual distance on Earth. By using the scale strip, you can measure distances on the map accurately by aligning it with the map's scale and converting the measurement based on the scale ratio provided.


What is used to convert between the distance on the map and the actual distance in real life on a planmetric map?

A scale is used to convert between distances on a map and actual distances in real life on a planimetric map. The scale provides a ratio or proportion between a distance on the map and the corresponding distance in reality. By using the scale, you can accurately measure distances on the map and then convert them to real-world distances.


What is the ruler on a printed map used to convert distances on the map to actual ground distance?

Graphic Scale is the printed ruler on a map that can be used to measure the distances on the map.


What is the purpose of a KEY and SCALE on a map?

The key, or legend, is a list of symbols and their meaning using on the map. The scale is what a measure on the map represents a distance on the ground. For instance: 1:50 000 (a scale of one to fifty-thousand) means 1 centimetre on the map is actually 50,000 centimetres on the ground.


Is a ratio scale on a map?

A ratio scale on a map represents the relationship between distances on the map and actual distances on the Earth's surface. It is expressed as a ratio, such as 1:10,000, where one unit on the map equals 10,000 units in the real world. This allows users to accurately measure distances and navigate based on the map's scale.

Related Questions

The part of a map that is used to measure distance is called?

The map scale is a part of the map that is used to measure distance. The map scale can often be found in or around the map legend.


What does a map scale help you measure?

distance


How does a scale strip help measure distances on a map?

That distance on the scale, that's how many miles or kilometers are represented on that map. It'll say on the scale.


Describe how to measure distance using topographic map?

To measure distance using a topographic map, you can use the map's scale. First, determine the scale of the map, such as 1:24,000. Then, use a ruler to measure the distance on the map between two points that you want to calculate the actual distance for. Convert the measured distance on the map to the actual distance using the map scale.


The part of the map that is used to measure distance is called a?

Scale


The part of the map that is used to measure distance is called?

the scale


Do scale factors have formulas?

Yes. Scale factor = Measure of something in real life/Measure of corresponding thing in model/map.


How would you measure a distance on the map that is longer the scale bar?

Multiply distance by the scale bar


How would you measure a distance on the map that is longer than the scale?

Multiply distance by the scale bar


How does a scale strip help you measure distances on a map?

A scale strip is a small ruler with varying units that represents the proportion between a distance on the map and the actual distance on Earth. By using the scale strip, you can measure distances on the map accurately by aligning it with the map's scale and converting the measurement based on the scale ratio provided.


What part of map helps you measure distance?

The scale bar on a map helps you measure distance. It represents the relationship between the distances on the map to the actual distances on the Earth's surface. By using the scale bar, you can accurately determine the distance between two points on the map.


How would you measure a distance on the map that's longer than the scale?

Multiply distance by the scale bar