MEANING AND TYPES OF MAP SCALE

 before understanding the map scale first you need to understand what is scale? The scale is the ratio that is used to calculate the actual size or area of items which has been reduced in size.

The map scale is the ratio of a distance on the map with the actual or corresponding distance on the ground.

Remember, the map is a scaled representation of the part of the earth's surface.

3 types of map scale representation

Map scale can be expressed in three ways

  • Using linear and this is known as a linear scale

  • using ratio this is known as ratio fraction or RF

  • using a statement where the scale is expressed in words, for example, I cm on the map represent 10 kilometers on the ground

The statement scale

The statement scale is when you make a statement saying what the distance on the map represents on the ground.

You may say 1 centimeter measured on the map represents 1 kilometer measured on the ground or 1 centimeter to 1 kilometer.

Notice that the statements mention two distances. The smaller distance refers to the map and the larger distance refers to the ground.

For the statement scale, the distance on the ground is always given in kilometers or meters.

Thus, in this case, the distance of 1 cm on the map represents a distance of 1 kilometer on the ground.

The Representative Fraction (R. F.)

The scale is given as a fraction: 1/10 or as a ratio: 1:10. What it means is that one unit measured on the map stands for ten of the same units on the ground. You can use any units that you are familiar with.

So, you can say 1 centimeter represents 10 cm. On most maps, the Representative Fraction is given as a ratio, which is usually 1:50,000 on topographic maps.

Note that the larger the Representative Fraction denominator, the smaller the scale and the less detail that can be shown.

A scale of 1:25 000 will show more detail than a scale of 1:100000.

The smaller the denominator of the Representative Fraction, the larger the scale, and more detail can be shown for a given area.

The linear scale or line-scale

this is the most common scale used for maps and you need to really know how to use it.

This is a special ruler that is drawn below a map that can be used to measure an area or distance. It is divided into a number of equal parts.

The divisions on the line scale measure map distances and the labeling will give you the distance on the ground.

To the right of zero – each scale division represents a distance of 1 kilometer. To the left of zero – the distance representing 1 km is shown.

how to convert statement scale into representative fraction scale (step by step guide)

example

convert the given statement scale of I centimeter representing 10 kilometers into a representative fraction (R.F)

solution

the given statement scale may be converted into a representative fraction using the following steps

1 centimeter represents 10 kilometers

1 centimeter represents 10*100,000 centimetres (1 kilometre=100,000 centimetres)

I centimeter represent 1,000,000 centimeters

we can now replace the character centimeters into units and read it as

one unit represents 1000000 units

answer

RF 1:1,000,000

how to convert representative fraction scale (R.F SCALE) into statement of scale (step by step guidance)

example

convert R.F 1:100,000 into a statement of scale

solution

the given R.F scale of 1:100,000 may be converted into statement of scale using the following steps:

  • 1:100,000 mean that

  • 1 unit on the map represent 100,000 unit on the ground

  • 1 cm represent 100,000/100,000 (1 km=100000cm)

  • 1 centimeter represent 1 kilometre

answer

1 cm represent 1 km

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