Geography Topic
Map scales
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- Flashcards
- Quiz
- Confident
Study focus - 3 things
- Scale tells you how distances on the map relate to distances in the real world
- Three ways to show scale: statement (in words), representative fraction (1:50,000), and linear (a bar)
- Large-scale = small ratio + more detail; small-scale = large ratio + less detail (it's the opposite of what it sounds like)
Section 1What scale does
Scale is the link between distance on the map and distance in the real world. Without a scale, you cannot work out how far one place is from another.
Section 2Three ways to show scale
1) Statement scale — written in words: "1 cm represents 1 km." 2) Representative fraction (RF) — written as a ratio: 1:50,000 means 1 unit on the map equals 50,000 of the same unit in real life. 3) Linear scale — a graphic bar marked with distance units that you can measure against directly.
Section 3Working with representative fractions
On a 1:50,000 map, 1 cm on the map = 50,000 cm in real life. To make it useful, convert: 50,000 cm = 500 m = 0.5 km. So 1 cm on the map equals 0.5 km on the ground. Knowing this lets you measure any distance with a ruler and convert it.
Section 4Large-scale vs small-scale (counter-intuitive)
A LARGE-scale map (like 1:10,000) shows a SMALL area in lots of detail. A SMALL-scale map (like 1:1,000,000) shows a LARGE area but with less detail. The name refers to the size of the ratio fraction, not the area covered.
Examples
On a 1:50,000 map, two towns are 4 cm apart. How far apart are they in real life?
4 cm × 50,000 = 200,000 cm. Convert: 200,000 cm = 2,000 m = 2 km. The towns are 2 km apart.
Which map shows more detail of your neighbourhood: a 1:10,000 map or a 1:100,000 map?
The 1:10,000 map. It's a large-scale map (small ratio), so it shows a smaller area but in much greater detail.
Now let's water it
Session runs notes to flashcards to quiz back-to-back.