Scale (map)

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/scale-map

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scale of a map?The scale is the ratio of a distance on the map to the real distance on Earth. For example, a scale of 1:100,000 means one unit on the map equals 100,000 units on the ground.
2. Why does a map's scale change when we look at different parts of the map?Because the Earth is round and we flatten it onto a sheet, the scale can be different at each point. The difference is called the scale factor.

Representative Fraction (RF): A scale expressed as a ratio, e.g., 1:100,000, indicating map distance to ground distance.
Nominal Scale: The theoretical or principal scale at which a map is constructed, often varying across the map.
Scale Factor: A measure of local scale distortion relative to the map's nominal scale.
Map Projection: A method for representing the curved surface of the Earth on a flat map, inherently causing distortions.