Hook Question 3min
Map Ratio
Learning Objective:
Apply proportion and work out the
missing lengths in the map ratio.
Learning Outcome: Evaluate the ratio for
maps and link them to real life situations.
Starter: Mental Math 3min
Starter: Mental Math
60
X=4 0.823
X = 10 2370mm
Map Ratio
The map ratio of a map is the ratio of a length on
the map to the length it represents on the ground
Length on Map : Length on the Ground
A map ratio or scale factor tells you how much each unit of
distance on a map represents in reality.
You have a map of Kingston-upon-Thames…
What does this scale mean?
Scale 1:300
It means that 1cm on the map
represents 300cm? in real life.
(Note the units had to be consistent)
Tiffin
John Lewis
What distance is this in real life?
75 × 300 = 22500𝑐𝑚
= 225𝑚 ?
Examples:
2) The map ratio of a map is 1: 200,000. The distance
between two towns is 20km. What is this in
1) The map ratio of a map is 1 : 1000. A length on the centimetres? Find the distance on the map between
map is 7 cm. What real length does this represent? the points representing the towns?
Map distance : Actual distance
Map distance : Actual distance 𝑥 𝑐𝑚 ∶ 20 𝑘𝑚 = 1 ∶ 200,000
𝑥 𝑐𝑚 ∶ 2,000,000 𝑐𝑚 = 1 ∶ 200,000
7 𝑐𝑚 ∶ 𝑥 𝑐𝑚 = 1 ∶ 1,000
7 1 𝑥 1
= =
𝑥 1000 2,000,000 200,000
𝑥 = 7 × 1000
𝑥 = 7000 𝑐𝑚 2,000,000
𝑥 =
The real length is 7000 cm = 70 m = 0.07 km 200000
𝑥 = 10 𝑐𝑚
The distance on the map between two towns is 10 cm
Test Your Understanding
Task 1 :
1 A map scale is 1 : 10 000. Two towns are
14cm apart on the map. What actual
distance does this represent in km?
1.4km ? 3 A map scale is 1 : 50 000. If a supermarket is 3.2km
away in real life, how close will it appear on the map?
5cm on a map represents 18km in real life.
2
a) What does 8cm represent?
6.4cm ?
28.8km ?
b) What is the map scale in the form 1:n?
1: 360 000 ?
Task 2
1 A scale on a map is 1: 5000. 3
a. What does a distance of 13.1cm on the
map represent in real life, in km?
1 : 500
?
0.655km
b. How far on the map do two locations
appear if they are 1.4km apart?
28cm?
A ship is to sail from Holyhead in Wales to
2
Dublin in Ireland. On a map with a scale
5cm represents 20km is real life. Determine 4
of 1 : 3 000 000 , the distance between
the map scale. the two ports is 3.5 cm. Find the actual
1 : 400
? 000 distance between the ports in kilometres.
105 km
Task 3 :
1 3
750
360
4
2
1:5000
1:12500
225
36 cm
Hook Question 3min
Challenge
Extra Practice
1 If a map scale is 1:100 000, and two locations are 6.2 cm apart on the map,
what distance in km does this represent?
𝟔. 𝟐 × 𝟏𝟎 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎 = 𝟔𝟐𝟎 𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝒄𝒎
? = 𝟔𝟐𝟎𝟎 𝒎 = 𝟔. 𝟐 𝒌𝒎
2 If a map scale is 1: 5000, and two locations are 3.2km apart, how far are
they away on the map in cm?
𝟑. 𝟐 𝒌𝒎 = 𝟑𝟐𝟎𝟎 𝒎 = 𝟑𝟐𝟎 𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝒄𝒎
𝟑𝟐𝟎 𝟎𝟎𝟎 ÷ 𝟓 𝟎𝟎𝟎? = 𝟔𝟒 𝒄𝒎
3 Bobville and Daveton are 4cm apart on a map, but 1km apart in real life.
Determine the scale of the map.
𝟒𝒄𝒎 ∶ 𝟏𝒌𝒎 = 𝟒𝒄𝒎 ∶ 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎𝒎 = 𝟒𝒄𝒎 ∶ 𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝒄𝒎
= 𝟏 ∶ 𝟐𝟓 𝟎𝟎𝟎 ?