Geography of Canada
Geographic Skills : The Map Scale
What is a map scaleMap scale is a measurement on the map
representing the actual distance at the location identified on the map.
We link the map to the real world using three different types of scale.
1- A Verbal scale uses a sentence to describe the relationship between a map distance and a ground distance.
“One centimetre represents 16 kilometres”
In this example the one centimetre is on the map, and that one centimetre represents 16 kilometres on the ground.
2- A Linear scale is a ruler which shows directly on the map the ground distance.
In this type of scale the ruler is divided into 1 cm sections with each section representing 1 kilometre on the ground.
3- Representative Fraction (Ratio scale). A RF scale shows the relationship between any unit on the map and same unit on the ground.
RFs may be written as a fraction or as a ratio;“1/100,000” or “1 :
100,000”
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