Solving Scale Problems
The solution will gradually “build”
for each problem
Some unit conversions
• 1 m = 100 cm = 1000 mm
• 1 km = 1000 m
• 1 foot = 12 inches (1’ = 12”)
• 1 mile = 63,360 inches
• 1 hectare (ha) = 10,000m2
The real world distance between 2 features is
1600m and the map distance is 8 cm.
What is the map scale ?
• Scale = 1 / xxxxx = map dist / real world 1 = Map dist.
distance xxxx Real world
dist.
• If we know 3 of the figures, then we solve
for the unknown by cross-multiply & then
divide
• What are we solving for? 1 = Map dist.
– Map scale is unknown
– 1 / xxx = map dist. / real world (RW) dist xxxx Real world
dist.
• What do we know?:
– Map dist = 8 cm
– RW distance is 1,600 m = 160,000 cm
• 1 / xxx = 8 cm / 160,000 cm
– xxx = (1*160,000 cm)/8 cm 1 = 8cm
– xxx = 20,000 xxxx 160,000cm
– Scale is 1 : 20,000
The distance between 2 features on a 1:10,000
map is 5 cm. What is the real world distance?
• Scale = 1 / xxxx = map dist / real world 1 = Map dist.
distance xxxx Real world
dist.
• If we know 3 of the figures, then we
solve for the unknown by cross-
multiply & then divide
• What are we solving for? 1 = Map dist.
– Real world (RW) distance
– 1 /xxxx = map dist / RW dist xxxx Real world
dist.
• What do we know?:
– Scale of map (1/xxxx) is 1 / 10,000
– Map dist = 5 cm
• 1 / 10,000 = 5 cm / RW dist. cm
– RW dist (cm) = (5*10,000 cm)/1 1 = 5 cm
– RW dist cm = 50,000 cm 10,000 Real world
– In metres, RW dist = 500 m dist. cm
What is the length in cm of one km
on a 1:25,000 map?
• Scale = 1 / xxxxx = map dist / real 1 = Map dist.
world distance xxxx Real world
dist.
• If we know 3 of the figures, then we
solve for the unknown by cross-
multiply & then divide
• What are we solving for? 1 = Map dist.
– Length on map (in cm)
– 1 / x = map dist. / real world (RW) dist xxxx Real world
dist.
• What do we know?:
– Scale of map (1/x) is 1 / 25,000
– 1 km RW dist (1 km = 1,000 m =
100,000 cm)
• 1 / 25,000 = map dist cm / 100,000 cm 1 = Map dist. cm
– Map dist (cm) = (1*100,000 cm)/25,000
25,000 100,000cm
– Map dist = 4 cm
You have a photo with a scale expressed as
1” = ¼ mile. What is the scale as a representative fraction?
• This is really a unit conversion
question
• Scale = 1 / xxx = map / RW 1 = Map dist.
• Scale of photo is 1” = ¼ mile xxxx Real world dist.
• If you convert top and bottom 1 = 1 inch
values to the same units, then you xxxx ¼ mile
have a representative fraction
(since the units will cancel out)
• So the question really is … how
many inches in ¼ mile?
1 = 1 in
• 1 mile = 63,360 inches xxxx 15,840 in
• ¼ mile = 63,360 inches / 4 =
15,840 inches
1 = 1
• Scale is 1 : 15,840 (NO need to
xxxx 15,840
show units anymore)
A map scale is 1 cm = 750 m and a photo covers a portion of the map
area. The distance between two road intersections measures 9.8 cm on the
photo and 5.0 cm on the map. Determine the scale of the photo.
• Photo scale = 1/xxx = photo/RW 1 = Photo
• We know xxxx RW
– photo measure of 9.8 cm
• If we had the RW distance we 1 = 9.8 cm
could determine the photo scale. xxxx RW
• Can we find RW distance?
– Yes, as we have map scale and a 1 = 5.0 cm
map measure
75,000 RW
• So first we find RW distance from
map, then use it to solve for photo
scale
• Map scale is
– 1 cm = 750 m, or
– 1 cm = 75,000 cm, or
– 1 : 75,000
• RW distance is
– RW = 5.0 cm * 75,000
– RW = 375,000 cm
A map scale is 1 cm = 750 m and a photo covers a portion of the map
area. The distance between two road intersections measures 9.8 cm
on the photo and 5.0 cm on the map. Determine the scale of the photo.
• From last slide 1 = 9.8 cm
• Photo scale is … xxxx RW cm
• RW distance (from map measures) is
– RW = 5.0 cm * 75,000
– RW = 375,000 cm 1 = 9.8 cm
xxxx 375000 cm
• Realize that RW distance is the same
no matter if we calculated from a map
or a photo – the RW distance is the
same
• Now we can solve for photo scale
(xxxx)
– xxxx = (1 * 375,000cm) / 9.8 cm
– xxxx = 38,265
– Scale is 1 : 38,265
Solve for Area
• The unit we will use for an area measure
is the hectare (ha)
• 1 ha = 10,000 m2
• You can visualize this as a large square
that measures 100m on each side.
How many hectares are covered by a
standard air photo at a scale of 1:20,000
• First remember that an air photo
measures 9” by 9”
• We want to know what ground area is
covered in the photo.
• First, since we will be solving for a
metric area measure (ha), it is best to
first convert 9” to cm
– Photo edge = 9 in
– = 9 in * 2.54 cm/in 1 = 22.86 cm
– = 22.86 cm 20000 RW cm
• Second, we find the RW distance in
metres
– RW = (20,000*22.86cm) / 1
– RW = 457200 cm = 4572 m
• Third, we find area (L * W)
– Area = 4572m * 4572m
– Area = 20903184m2
– Area = 2090 ha
How many hectares are covered by a standard air
photo at a scale of 1” = ¼ mile
• The photo scale 1” = ¼ mi. needs to be 1 = 1”
converted to a representative fraction
– Solve by converting ¼ mi to inches xxxx ¼ mi
– 63,360 in/mi / 4 = 15,840”
• Next, convert the photo edge (9”) to metric 1 = 1”
(cm)
xxxx 15,840”
– Since we will be solving for a metric measure
(ha), it is best to first convert 9” to cm
– Photo edge = 9 in
– = 9 in * 2.54 cm/in
– = 22.86 cm
• Now we find the RW distance of the photo 1 = 22.86 cm
edge
– RW cm = (22.86 cm*15840)/1 15840 RW cm
– RW = 362,102 cm = 3621 m
• Last we calculate area, in m2, then convert
to ha
– Area = 3621 m * 3621 m = 13,111,641 m2
– Area = 13,111,641 m2 / 10,000 = 1,311 ha