Dr.

Rambooshan Tiwari
Assistant Professor
Department of Geography
IGNTU, Amarkantak (M.P.)
 What is Scale
• Map scale refers to the relationship (or ratio) between distance on a
map and the corresponding distance on the ground.
• For example, on a 1:100000 scale map, 1cm on the map equals 1km on
the ground.
• Map scale is often confused or interpreted incorrectly, perhaps because
the smaller the map scale, the larger the reference number and vice
versa.
• Large scale maps make each feature look larger, and show a smaller
geographic area. Small scale maps make each feature look smaller, and
show a larger geographic area.
• For example, a 1:100,000 scale map is considered a larger scale than a
1:250, 000 scale map.
 Question Time

Is the Geography is only subject which use the

scale?

 Does other discipline also use the scale?

 If Yes! How?

 How the Microscope is different from a Map.

 Importance or usefulness of a map scale
1. As we said in our introduction that map scale is used to translate map
distance to actual ground distance therefore you can know the actual
ground from the map using the map scale through the formula.
map distance = map distance/actual ground distance
2. Scale help in calculating the area on the map. This is because it helps
the map reader to measure various dimensions in the map such as width
and length.

3. The scale is used in map enlargement and reduction

4. Scale help to determine the amount of content/feature that a map will

contain
 Types of Scale
• There are at least three ways to express or represent
a scale in the Map

1. Statement Scale

2. Representative Fraction (R. F.)

3. Graphical Scale

• Each of these methods of scale has advantages and

limitations.
 1. Statement Scale (कथना मक मापनी)

 Statement scale is the type of map scale expression in

which scale is expressed in form of a written statement.

 for example, one centimeter on the map represents ten

kilometers on the ground.

 This can also be expressed in short as

 1cm = 10km

 1 inch = 1mile
• The word ”represent” should be used. do not use

”equivalent” or ”equal”.

• For example, do not say one centimeter on the map is

equal to ten kilometers on the ground.

• This is because the statement is not true. instead, say one

centimeter on the map represents ten kilometers on the

ground.
 Advantages of Statement Scale

1. Simple and Ready to Use method which is understood

even by a common man

2. It requires little time to express this scale.

 Disadvantages of Statement Scale
1. it may be difficult for users who are not familiar

with the unit of measurement used in the scale.

2. If the map enlarged or Reduced the scale will not

remain the same

 Representative Fraction ( दशक भ न)
 A representative fraction (RF) is the ratio of distance on the map to
distance on the ground.

 A representative fraction indicates ratio between the number of units

on the map to the number of units on the ground.

 Representative fractions are expressed in the form of 1 followed by a :

(colon) and then a number, where the one is the numerator in the
fraction, the colon represents the division operation, and the other
number is the denominator.

 Representative fractions are a unit-less relation between one “unit” on the

map and how ever many “units” of the same type on the ground.
• Thus, a scale of 1:24,000 can be expressed
mathematically as 1/24,000. In fact, on some maps, you
will see the RF represented using a division sign.

• RF of 1:24,000 means one inch on the map equals 24,000

inches on the ground and one centimeter on the map equals
24,000 centimeters on the ground.
 Advantages of Using Representative Fraction

 Being a unit less scale it is easy for every user across the culture.

 One of the major advantages of using the R.F. (Representative Fraction)

scale is that it allows you to directly compare the sizes of objects between
different maps.

 Because the R.F. eliminates the use of specific units (such as inches, feet,
miles, etc.), there are no complicated conversions needed.

 Representative fractions allow the amount of reduction to be easily

understood, but it is harder for most people to determine specific distances on
the map because distances must either be multiplied or divided by the RF.
 Disadvantages of Using Representative Fraction
 Representative fractions are invalid if the map is reduced or enlarged.
 Sometimes it is helpful to provide a scale bar along with the RF to give
your map readers the advantages of using both.

 Representative fractions allow the amount of reduction to be easily

understood, but it is harder for most people to determine specific
distances on the map because distances must either be multiplied or
divided by the RF.

A representative fraction can be shown along

with a scale bar to help map readers even more.
 Graphic scale (आलेखी मापनी)
 A Graphic scale also called a linear scale, bar scale, scale
bar, graphic scale, or graphical scale, is a means of
visually showing the scale of a map, nautical chart,
engineering drawing, or architectural drawing.

 distances and the corresponding ground distances using a

line bar with primary and secondary divisions marked on
it. This is referred to as the graphical scale or bar scale.
Showing Primary and Secondary Division of Scale
Representative Faction to Graphical Scale
 Metric System of Measurement

Unit Conversion Factor 1 Conversion Factor 2

Millimeter -
Centimeters 10 mm =1cm
Decimeter 10mm=1decimeter
Meter 10 decimeter=1meter 1 meter=100cm
Decameter 10 meter=1 decameter
Hectometer 10 decameter= 1hectometer
Kilometer 10 Hectometer=1km 1km=1000meter
1km=100000 cm
 British System of Distance Measurement
Unit of Measurement Conversion Factor 1 Conversion Factor 2 Conversion Factor 3
(Reference to (In Inch) (In Feet)
Previous Unit)
Inch (in or ″)
Foot (ft or ′) 12 Inch or 12” 12 Inch or 12”

yard (yd) 36 Inch 36 Inch 3 Feet

Chain (ch) 22 Yard 792 Inch 66 Feet

Furlong (fur) 10 Chains 7920 660 Feet

Mile (mi) 8 Furlong 63360 5280 Feet

League (lea) 3 Mile 190,080 15840

1 Mile = 63360 Inch = 5280 Foot= 1760 Yard =8 Furlong

 Conversion of Metric to British System
Unit of Measurement Conversion Factor 1 Remark
In British System (Reference to
Metric System)
Inch (in or ″) 2.54cm

Foot (ft or ′) 30.48cm

yard (yd) 91.44cm 0.9144 Meters

Chain (ch) 20.1168m Cricket Pitch of 22 Yard

(Distance Between Two
Sides Stumps)
Furlong (fur) 201.168 Meter 4.97 Furlong in 1 km

Mile (mi) 1.60 km 8 Furlong in 1 Mile

Nautical Miles 1.852 km 1.15 Miles

 3 factors to consider when choosing a map scale.

• A map represents a portion of the Earth’s surface. Since an

accurate map represents the land, each map has a “scale” that
indicates the relationship between a certain distance on the map
and the distance on the ground.

• The map scale is usually located in the legend box of a map,

which explains the symbols and provides other important
information about the map. A map scale can be printed in a variety
of ways.
1. The map content: Some special themes can not have various
scales, but only the most logical one. For example, population
density maps cannot be larger than 1:100 000 otherwise the mapped
people are not representative (commuters, day labourer, etc.).

2. The map purpose: The map scale must be adapted to the purpose
of the map and not to the first design or aesthetic idea of the author.

3. The map precision: With what measuring and counting will the
map be built? Here you should think how detailed the information
you display on the map will be. With large scale maps, the
information is precise because they are less generalized.
 On a small-scale map, such as a page-size map of
R
e Switzerland, places of religious worship occur at points, but

a on a large scale map, such as a map of a local neighborhood,

d individual buildings would likely be apparent, and thus the

focus might be on the area covered by the place of worship.

M
o Similarly, a river could be considered a linear phenomena on

r a small-scale map, but on a large-scale map, the emphasis

e could be on the area covered by the river.
  Large scale maps are on the whole not economic,
R not easy to handle, and sometimes misleading. And,
e small scales make on the whole the map difficult to
a read, complicate, and sometimes are meaningless.
d  Which scale is selected for a given map design
problem will finally depend on the map purpose
M and physical size. The amount of geographical
o detail necessary to satisfy the purpose of the map
r will also act as a constraint in scale selection.
e
R Generally, the scale used will be a
e compromise between these two
a controlling factors. When you represent
d
the scale graphically on the map, the

M measurement dimensions and the line

o thickness should be adapted to the map
r graphics.
e
 File Work
1. Convert Statement Scale into Representative Fraction (at

least 10 examples).

2. Convert Representative Fraction into Graphical Scale

(5 Examples from Metric System and 5 Examples from British System).