Map Scale

Maps
Show a variety of features
Can be at any scale

Large scale (small area) reference maps have higher

positional accuracy; includes topographic maps, site
maps

Small scale (large area) maps are more generalized and

less positional accurate; includes state, country,
continental maps
For example a 1:250,000 map is smaller scale
than a 1:50,000 map
 Representative Fraction (RF)
1 cm
Map Scale represent As the number is increasing, map is showing
1:2,000 20 m Large scale less detail means small scale map
1:5,000 50 m
1:10,000 100 m
1:20,000 200 m
1:24,000 240 m
1:25,000 250 m
1:30,000 300 m
1:50,000 500 m
1:62,000 620 m
1:75,000 750 m
1:80,000 800 m
1:100,000 1 km
1:125,000 1.25 km
1:500,000 5 km
1:1,000,000 10 km Small scale
 What is Scale?
n Scale represents the ratio of a distance on
the map to the actual distance on the
ground
n Representative Fraction (RF)

n Verbal Statement

n Graphic or Bar Scale

 Small Scale vs. Large Scale Maps

n Maps come in variety of scales. Large or small scale

maps can be distinguished by the use of fractional or
ratio expressions.
n A map covering a large area (e.g. country or state) with
a small scale fraction is a small scale map (e.g.
1:1000000), whereas a map covering a smaller area
(town) with a large scale fraction is a large scale map
(e.g. 1:10000). Most times the comparison of large scale
and small scale maps can be relative.
Before we start, Converting Scale
n Metric Units:
n One Meter = 100 centimeters = 1,000 millimeters
Example: 3.6 meters = ? Centimeters
1 meter =100 cm
3.6 meter = 100 * 3.6 = 360 cm

n One Kilometers = 1,000 meters

= 100,000 centimeters
= 1000,000 millimeters
Example: 1.3 kilometers = ? Meters
= ? centimeters
= ? Millimeters
1km = 1000 m then 1.3 km = 1000 *1.3= 1300 meter.
 Converting Scale
n One foot = 12 inches
n One statute mile = 5,280 feet or 63,360
inches
n One yard = 3 feet
 1. Representative Fraction
a map scale in which figures representing units (as
centimeters, inches, or feet) are expressed in the form of
the fraction 1/x (as 1/250,000) or of the ratio 1:x to
indicate that one unit on the map represents x units (as
250,000 centimeters) on the earth's surface.
n Example: 1:50,000
n Each one on the map = 50,000 on the ground
n Each one cm on the map = 50,000 cm on the ground
n Each one cm on the map = 500 m on the ground
n Each one cm on the map = 0.5 km on the ground

n Each one mm on the map = 50,000 mm on the ground

n Each one cm on the map = 50 m on the ground
n Each one cm on the map = 0.05 km on the ground
Practice 1

An object was measured on a map and found to be 2

cm. The same object was measured on the ground
and found to be 1 km. What is the RF of the map?

1 : 50 000
 Calculate RF
n Example 2: An object was measured on the map and
found to be 5 mm. The same object was measured on
the ground and found to be 134 m. What is the RF of
the map?
 Make RF look nice
n 1:58,234.889

1:58,235
1:58,240
1:58,000
1:60,000
 2. Verbal Statement
n Verbal scale expresses in words a relationship between a
map distance and a ground distance. Usually it is along the
lines of: One cm represents 3.6 km
n From the RF (conversion of RF to verbal scale)
n RF 1:360,000 Examples
n Each one on the map equals 360,000 on the ground
n Each one cm on the map equals 360,000 cm on the ground

n Each one cm on the map equals 3,600 m on the ground

n Each one cm on the map equals 3.6 km on the ground

 Verbal Scale Statement
n From the map measurement
n An object was measured on the map and found to be 20
cm. The same object was measured on the ground and
found to be 10 Km. What is the verbal scale statement?
n 1 cm on map represent 2 km on ground

n An object was measured on the map and found to be 2cm.

The same object was measured on the ground and found to
be 4 Km. What is the verbal scale statement?
1 cm represent on map 2 km on ground
 Graphic or Bar Scale
A graphic scale is a ruler printed on the map and is
used to convert distances on the map to actual
ground distances. The graphic scale is divided into
two parts. To the right of the zero, the scale is
marked in full units of measure and is called the
primary scale. To the left of the zero, the scale is
divided into tenths and is called the extension
scale.
Home Work for this week
 Why we use Bar Scale?
n When dealing with digital maps, it is normal for the map to be
resized during printing in order for it to fit the page. A digital
map's size might also get altered by saving it to another format
(e.g. jpg, png, pdf). The same problem applies when a hard copy
map is reproduced by photocopying. Note that in such situations
the original ratio scale (or verbal scale) of the map would not be
accurate anymore.

n However the advantage of bar scale is that it would shrink or

expand consistently with the map in case of any resizing, and
therefore will remain an accurate representation of the map scale.
Also differing monitor resolutions and zoom levels make
ratio/verbal scales for digital maps unreliable.
 Why we use Bar Scale?
Another point worth considering is that while you can view
a digital map at any scale by zooming in/out on the
computer screen, you should note that when a map is
produced at a certain scale with a certain level of accuracy
(or level of error), changing its scale would not affect the
original level of accuracy.
For example when zooming in a 1:50000 topographic map
so that its scale changes to 1:25000 or 1:10000, the level of
accuracy of the map will remain at the original level
designed for the 1:50000 map.
How to measure distances on a map
Helpful Tutorial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3QxrX0MYu4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNyb7dha5O0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqJrmnQ9sBs
Questions???