Map Scales

• Maps are scale drawing of actual land.

o Example of map scale \(\to 1:20\,000\).

o It means that \(1\)cm on the map represents \(20\,000\)cm on the actual land.

• The map scale in the form \(1:r\) can also be represented as a fraction, \(\frac{1}{r}\).

• The enlargement factor from map to actual land is \(r\); the reduction factor from actual land to map is \(1/r\).

• \(1:r\) and \(\frac{1}{r}\) do not have units.

• Note that the map area scale will then be \(1:{{r}^{2}}\)