Scale is the ratio between the distance on a map and the corresponding distance on the Earth’s surface. It helps to represent the Earth’s surface accurately on a flat map. The different methods used for expressing scale are:
- Statement of Scale: A statement of scale provides a written description of the scale such as “1 cm on the map represents 1 km on the ground”.
- Representative Fraction (RF): RF is a ratio that compares the distance on the map to the distance on the ground. For example, a map with an RF of 1:50,000 means that one unit on the map represents 50,000 units on the ground.
- Graphic Scale: A graphic scale is a bar line that is divided into sections to represent units of measurement. The scale can be used to determine the actual distance between two points on a map.
