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Map Scale Types in Human Geography

This document discusses different types of map scales: 1) Verbal scales describe the scale in words, like "1 cm = 1 km". 2) Representative fractions show the ratio between distances on the map and in real life, like 1:100,000. 3) Graphical or linear scales use a line marked with distances that users can measure with a ruler to determine scale.

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shanoor Jamkhandi
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151 views7 pages

Map Scale Types in Human Geography

This document discusses different types of map scales: 1) Verbal scales describe the scale in words, like "1 cm = 1 km". 2) Representative fractions show the ratio between distances on the map and in real life, like 1:100,000. 3) Graphical or linear scales use a line marked with distances that users can measure with a ruler to determine scale.

Uploaded by

shanoor Jamkhandi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Techniques in Human Geography

SCALES
A scale is a measuring line which shows the
relation of the distance between two places on
the map to their actual distance on the land.
TYPES OF SCALE
There are 3 ways in which the scale is depicted
on the map.

SCALE

VERBAL SCALE GRAPHICAL


REPRESENTATI
OR SCALE
VE FRACTION
STSTEMENT OR
(RF)
SCALE LINEAR SCALE
1) VERBAL SCALE / STSTEMENT SCALE

A word statement gives a written description of map


distance, such as “One centimeter equals one kilometer” or
“One centimeter equals ten kilometers.” Obviously, the first
map would show much more detail than the second because
one centimeter on the first map covers a much smaller area
then on the second map.
Ex: One centimeter equals to five hundred centimeters.
Two centimetres equals to one kilometre.
2) REPRESENTATIVE FRACTION
(RF)
A ratio or representative fraction (RF) indicates how many units on
the earth’s surface is equal to one unit on the map. It can be expressed
as RF= 1:100,000 or 1:50,000
Example: 1 centimeter on the map equals 100,000 centimeters (1
kilometer) on the earth. It also means that one inch on the map is equal
to 100,000 inches on the land (8,333 feet, 4 inches or about 1.6 miles).
Or even 1 paperclip on the map is equal to 100,000 paperclips on the
ground. Other common RFs include 1:63,360 (1 inch to 1 mile) and
1:1,000,000 (1 cm to 10 km).
2) GRAPHICAL SCALE OR LINEAR SCALE

A graphic scale does solve this problem because it is simply


a line marked with distance on the ground which the map
user can use along with a ruler to determine scale on the
map. In the U.S., a graphic scale often includes both metric
and U.S. common units. As long as the size of the graphic
scale is changed along with the map, it will be accurate.

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