20.

1 - equipment

You should be ensure that you take the following items with you to the examination:

o A pencil, eraser, ruler and a protractor (preferably 360°)

o A calculator

It is also advisable that you should use a ruler, and/or a straight edge piece of paper
measuring distance or for assisting with cross sections on the large-scale
topographic map – an extra A4 sheet of plain paper (carta bianca) should be given to
you for this purpose.

20.2 – the scale of the maps and measuring distances

The maps will be on a scale of either 1 : 25 000 or 1 : 50 000. This means that 1 cm
on the maps represent either 250 cm or 500 cm on the ground, respectively.

The distances you are asked to measure will normally be straight, along roads, or
with easy-to-measure distances, along fairly straight roads. You can either measure
the straight-line distances with you ruler or the edge of a straight piece of paper.

If the distance is curved (figure 20.1), you should divide the curve into straight
sections and rotate the paper after each straight section to follow the next straight
section. In figure 20.1, this is done in four stages.
The question here was to measure the distance along the A30 road from crossroads
with the B6 to the crossroads with the B12. When each stage has been measured,
the completed straight-edge piece of paper is laid along the linear scale line on the
map extract and the distance is read off in kilometres or metres. This method avoids
complicated mathematical calculations which can arise when a ruler is used.

Grid references

Maps are divided into numbered squares. These squares can be used to give a
place a four or six-figure grid reference. It is important that you know both  four-
figure and six-figure grid references.

Eastings

Eastings are lines that run up and down the map vertically. They increase in number
the further you move east (or right). You can use them to measure how far to travel
east.

Northings

Northings are lines that run across the map horizontally. They increase in number
the further you move north (or up the map). You can use them to measure how far to
travel north.

REMEMBER:

o Number along the bottom of the map come first and the numbers up the side
of the map come second – EASTHINGS then NORTHINGS
o A 4-figure grid reference will refer to a grid square. It is used to locate a fairly
large feature like a town, a river valley, a coastline or a particular land use,
such as a sugar plantation.
o A 6-figure grid reference will refer to an exact point. This is usually to find a
conventional sign or a building, such as power station, and you will need to
search the key to find out what it is.
To find a 4-figure grid reference you use the first numbers shown along the
bottom of the map, from left to right. You use the second two numbers to go up
the side of the map, from below to above.
A 6-figure grid reference uses the four figures from a 4-figure grid reference, for
example 06 67, and then adds two more: 065 675. This allows you to find an
exact point in a grid square. In finding the third and sixth figures, you have to
imagine that the grid line has been split into 10 equal parts.

Compass directions and bearings

You need to be able to use and give directions on the map.
You need to know the 16 points of the compass (figure 20.3), but you do not
need to know their degree equivalent.
Using figure 20.2 as an example:
1. The compass direction of the letter B from A is South East (SE or SSE)
2. To find the grid bearing you place your protractor and on the map so that
the 0° is pointing vertically, North, up the map and the centre of the
protractor is on the letter A. You can then calculate the degree bearing of
a location by finding how many degrees around from 0° is the letter B. It is
150°.

Finding the height on a map