Map Scale
Map scale calculator: real distance from the map, map distance from the real one, and the scale from two distances.
The scale calculator solves three problems: it finds the real distance from a map distance, the map distance from a real distance, and the scale itself from two distances. It also writes the verbal scale — "1 cm represents 1 km".
What a scale is
A scale shows how many times a distance on a map or plan is smaller than the real one. A scale of 1 : 100,000 means that 1 cm on the map represents 100,000 cm = 1 km on the ground.
| What to find | Formula |
|---|---|
| Real distance | D = d · n |
| Map distance | d = D : n |
| Scale 1 : n | n = D : d (in the same units) |
Both distances must be in the same units, usually centimeters: 1 m = 100 cm, 1 km = 100,000 cm.
Example 1. On a 1 : 5,000,000 map two cities are 4.6 cm apart. Real distance: 4.6 · 5,000,000 = 23,000,000 cm = 230 km.
Example 2. A 6 m room on a 1 : 100 plan: 600 : 100 = 6 cm.
Example 3. 3 km on the ground is shown as 6 cm: n = 300,000 : 6 = 50,000, scale 1 : 50,000.
Comments
No comments yet.