Concept and Application of Scales

1. Define a map.
A map is a visual representation of a geographical area or space, typically drawn to scale
on a flat surface. It can show various features of the area, such as natural landmarks,
roads, political boundaries, and more, depending on its purpose.

2. Define Scale.
Scale refers to the ratio between a distance or area on a map and the corresponding
distance or area on the Earth’s surface. It is often expressed as a fraction or ratio (e.g.,
1:50,000), indicating how much smaller the map is compared to the actual terrain. Scales
can be represented as verbal scales (e.g., “1 inch represents 1 mile”) or graphical scales (a
line marked with distances).

3. What is a Map Scale?

Map scale is the relationship between the measurements on a map and the actual
measurements in the real world. It defines how much the features on the map are
reduced or enlarged compared to the actual size of those features on the Earth’s surface.
Map scales help users understand the size and distance of objects or places on the map in
relation to reality.

4. State the importance of map scale.

The importance of map scale lies in its ability to provide crucial information and context
when using maps for various purposes:

 Accurate Measurement: Map scales allow users to accurately measure distances

and areas on a map and relate them to real-world dimensions. This is essential for
tasks like navigation, land surveying, and urban planning.

 Spatial Relationships: Map scale helps users understand the spatial relationships
between different features on a map. It allows them to gauge the proximity of
landmarks, cities, and geographic elements accurately.

 Map Reading: Map scale aids in interpreting maps effectively. It assists users in
estimating travel times, understanding the size of geographic regions, and making
informed decisions based on spatial information.

 Cartographic Communication: Map scale is critical for cartographers and

mapmakers to convey information clearly and consistently. It ensures that maps are
 accurate representations of the real world, making them valuable tools for
communication.

 Compatibility: Map scales enable the integration of different maps and spatial data
sets. When maps have a consistent scale, they can be overlaid and analyzed
together, facilitating geographic analysis and decision-making.

 Navigation: In navigation, understanding map scale is crucial for determining how

far one needs to travel and for estimating travel times. It helps in planning routes
and avoiding errors in navigation.

 Environmental and Resource Management: Map scale is essential for managing

natural resources, land use, and environmental conservation. It allows for precise
calculations of areas affected by natural disasters, wildlife habitats, and more.

 Infrastructure Planning: Engineers and city planners use map scale to design
infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and utilities, ensuring that these elements fit
properly within a given geographic area.

5. What are the different forms of the presentation of map?

Map scales are represented in three basic and reversible forms-a statement, a numeric
ratio and a graph and accordingly they are respectively called statement scale, ratio scale
and graphical scale.

On maps it is customary to show a map scale in all the three forms for the sake of the
convenience of the user.

STATEMENT SCALE : A map scale can well be represented in the form of a simple
statement, in which the map distance is always expressed as a unit length. This is known
as a statement scale and is written on a map as, 1 cm to 25 km or 1 inch to 50 miles. The
value on the left-hand side of the statement indicates the map distance (cm/inch) and
that on the right-hand side indicates the ground distance (km/mile).
REPRESENTATIVE FRACTION (R.F.) / NUMERIC RATIO SCALE : A map scale may also be
expressed as a numeric ratio, in which the numerator is the map distance and the
denominator is the corresponding ground distance, both being expressed in the same
unit of measurement. Therefore, it is a dimensionless fraction. It is also known as a ratio
scale or Representative Fraction (R.F.). For example, 1:100,000.

GRAPHICAL SCALE : A map scale may also be cartographically represented by a line or a

linear graph. This is known as a graphical scale. Primarily, a straight line is divided into a
number of equal parts- known as the primary divisions. The left-most primary division is
then subdivided into a number of equal parts, called secondary divisions. The value of
one secondary division defines the precision of the map scale. A graphical scale can be
constructed from either a statement scale or a numeric ratio scale. The graphical scale
may take four different forms-a linear scale, a comparative linear scale, a diagonal scale
and a vernier scale.

6. Distinguish between the statement scale and ratio scale.

7. What are the disadvantages of a statement scale?

Some of the disadvantages of a statement scale are—
(a) Only the person who knows the language in which the scale is written will be able to
comprehend it.
(b) Changing the units of measurement is difficult in this system, and is a time consuming
process.
(c) If the map is enlarged or reduced, the scale has to be calculated again.

8. State why ratio scale has got the universal applicability.

The greatest advantage of a numeric ratio scale is that a map with a given R.F. can be used
universally. A statement scale or a graphical scale in any system of measurement can
easily be computed from the R.F. and cartographically plotted as well.
Thus, 1:100,000 may be written as: 1 cm to 100,000 cm (CGS system)
Or, 1 cm to 100,000 km
100,000
Or, 1 cm to 1 km
1 inch to 100,000 inch (FPS system)
Or, I inch to 100000/63, 360miles
Or, 1 inch to 1.58 miles
From a statement scale equation, R.F. can easily be determined.
For example, 1 cm to 25 km may be written as 1 cm to 25x105 cm. Hence, R.F. becomes
1:25x105. Similarly, 1 inch to 50 miles may be written as 1 inch to 50 x 63,360 inch or 1
inch to 3,168,000 inch. Therefore R.F. becomes 1:32×105.

9. What are the advantages of a graphical scale?

A graphical scale, often found on maps and diagrams, offers several advantages:

 Visual Clarity: It provides a clear and easy-to-understand reference for distances or

sizes on a map or diagram.

 Consistency: A graphical scale remains accurate regardless of changes in the size of

the map or diagram, making it a reliable tool for measurement.

 International Applicability: Graphical scales can be easily understood by people

from different regions and languages, as they are not reliant on numerical units or
specific languages.

 Avoids Numerical Confusion: Using a graphical scale can prevent confusion that
may arise from different units of measurement or numerical scale representations.

 Quick Estimations: It enables users to make approximate measurements without

the need for precise instruments.
 10. Define precision of a graphical scale.
Precision in the context of a graphical scale typically refers to the level of detail and
accuracy with which distances or measurements are represented on a map, chart, or
diagram. A high-precision graphical scale provides a more detailed and accurate
representation of distances, while a low-precision scale may be less detailed and less
accurate. Precision is often expressed in terms of the ratio between the distances on the
map or chart and the actual distances on the ground, such as 1:10,000, indicating that
one unit of measurement on the map corresponds to 10,000 units on the ground.

11. What is a comparative scale? What are its different types?

It is defined as a composite plain scale in which two linear scales representing different
units of measurement, or time and distance, or pace and distance, or revolution and
distance are superimposed for the sole purpose of comparison. They are respectively
known as Unit Scale, Time Scale, Pace Scale and Revolution Scale.

a. Unit Scale : This type of comparative scale shows a comparison of distance

measured in different but comparable units, e.g., kilometers-miles, meters-yards,
etc. The two basic principles of construction are:

1) in both the scales, the ground distance equivalents of the primary and the
secondary divisions are identical, and
2) the zeros of both the scales coincide during superimposition (the act of putting one
image on top of another so that the two can be seen combined).

b. Time Scale : This represents a relationship between time and distance. Usually, the
speed of a moving body is transferred to a map scale in such a way that the ground
 distance describing the primary division in one is exactly divisible by the time
interval describing the same primary division in the other.

c. Pace Scale : It is a type of time scale especially used by the army during a quick
reconnaissance survey. The length of a standard military pace is 30 inch or 75
centimeters. The comparative scale shows distance (yards or meters) on one side
and on the other.

d. Revolution Scale : On a level ground, distances can easily be measured in terms of

the revolutions of the wheel (of known radius) of a bicycle or cart.
Therefore,
Ground distance=Circumference of the wheel x No . of revolutions
 The revolution scale shows distance on one side and the number of revolutions of the
other. It is also a special type of time scale.

12.What are the advantages and disadvantages of a comparative scale?

Advantages of Comparative Scales:

a) Small differences between stimulus objects can be detected: Comparative scales are
sensitive to even subtle differences between objects being compared. This allows
researchers to discern nuances in preferences or perceptions among respondents.

b) Same known reference points for all respondents: Comparative scales provide a
common reference point for all respondents. This ensures that everyone is using the
same basis for making their judgments, which helps in achieving consistency and
comparability in responses.

c) Easily understood and can be applied : Involve fewer theoretical assumptions:

Comparative scales are generally easy to understand and apply for respondents. They
often involve straightforward tasks like ranking, rating, or paired comparisons, making
them accessible to a wide range of participants. They also require fewer theoretical
assumptions about the underlying constructs being measured compared to some
other scaling methods.

d) Tend to reduce halo or carryover effect from one judgment to another: Comparative
scales can help reduce the halo effect, which occurs when a respondent’s opinion about one
aspect of a stimulus object influences their opinion on another aspect. By directly comparing
objects, respondents are less likely to let their judgment on one attribute carry over to
another.

Disadvantages of Comparative Scales:

a) Ordinal nature of the data: Comparative scales provide ordinal data, meaning that
they indicate the order or ranking of objects but do not establish the magnitude of
differences between them. This limits the extent to which precise quantitative
conclusions can be drawn from the data. For example, you can tell that object A is
preferred over object B, but you can’t quantify the degree of preference.

b) Inability to generalize beyond the stimulus objects scaled: Comparative scales are
primarily useful for making relative judgments between a specific set of stimulus
objects. They do not provide information about how respondents’ preferences or
perceptions might extend to other, untested objects or situations. This limits the
generalizability of findings to a broader population or context.

13. What is a diagonal scale? State the situations in which it is mostly used.
 Through Diagonal scale, measurements can be upto second decimal.
 Diagonal scales are used to measure distances in a unit and its immediate two
subdivisions; e.g. dm, cm & mm, or yard, foot & inch.
 Diagonal scale can measure more accurately than the plain scale.
 A diagonal scale, unlike others, contains three types of divisions-primary,
secondary and tertiary. Here, the total value of the tertiary divisions is exactly
equal to the value of one secondary division. Similarly, the total value of the
secondary divisions is equal to the value of one primary division
In small and medium scale maps, accurate measurements can be obtained upto the
smallest unit on the secondary division with a plain or comparative scale. However, on
large scale or cadastral maps and plans (commonly used by surveyors, planners and
geographers), measurements either in three dimensions, or upto 1/100th part of a
primary division, are often desired, and here lies the importance and use of a diagonal
scale.

14.What is a vernier scale?

 Similar to Diagonal scale, Vernier scale is used for measuring up to second
decimal.
 A Vernier scale consists of (i) a primary/main scale and (ii) a vernier scale.
 The primary scale is a plain scale fully divided in to minor divisions.
  The graduations(the action of dividing into degrees or other proportionate
divisions on a graduated scale) on the vernier are derived from those on the
primary scale.

15. What is meant by the least count of a scale?

The "least count" of a scale refers to the smallest measurement that can be read or
represented by the scale. It is the precision or accuracy with which the scale can measure
or indicate values. For example, if you have a ruler with a least count of 1 millimeter, it
means you can accurately measure or read lengths to the nearest millimeter using that
ruler. If the least count were 0.1 millimeter, you could measure to the nearest tenth of a
millimeter, and so on.

16. What is meant by vernier constant?

The Vernier constant, also known as the least count of a vernier scale, is a measure of the
precision and accuracy of a vernier caliper or other vernier measuring instruments. It
represents the difference in length between one main scale division and one vernier scale
division.

17. State the situations in which the vernier scale is mostly used.
Vernier scales are commonly used in various situations where precision measurements
are required. Some common situations where vernier scales are often used include:
a) in surveying, civil engineering, and navigation
Theodolite: Vernier scales are used on the theodolite for more precise measurement
of angles in surveying and navigation applications.
b) maritime navigation and celestial navigation
Sextant: In a sextant, the vernier scale is employed to measure the angle between
celestial objects and the horizon for navigation purposes, particularly in maritime
activities.
c) meteorology and atmospheric science
Barometer: Vernier scales can be utilized in specialized barometers to measure air
pressure with greater accuracy.
d) cartography, mapmaking, and engineering
Planimeter: In a planimeter, the vernier scale helps in measuring areas on maps or
drawings with enhanced precision.
e) optics, lens manufacturing,
Spherometer: This instrument uses a vernier scale to measure the curvature of
surfaces, like lenses or other curved objects, for precise determination of radii.
f) engineering, machining, and manufacturing industries
Screw Gauge: Vernier scales are commonly integrated into screw gauges to measure very
small distances or objects with high accuracy, such as thickness or diameter of small
components.
g) manufacturing, metalworking, woodworking, and automotive
Slide Calipers: Vernier scales are used on slide calipers to make highly accurate
measurements of length, width, or depth of various objects.

18. State the criteria for the placement of a map scale in a map layout.
The purpose of the map scale is to measure linear relationships and distances on the
map. Map scale should use a unit of measure that is appropriate for the audience and its
purpose. Additionally, the map scale should be subtle and small. The scale should be
noticeable but not stand out too much as map readers are expected to search for the map
scale when required.
A map scale is typically included on a reference map as again if you remember, a general
reference map does not have any one particular purpose. That means you should prepare
for the possibility that the user wishes to measure distances on the map. Some thematic
maps do not expect that the map reader will be able to measure meaningful distances on
the map; therefore, it is appropriate for the map scale to not be included on some
thematic maps.
When choosing and designing a map scale there are a few things you must keep in mind.
The first is to use round, meaningful numbers on your map scale. Decimal numbers
should be avoided on a map scale unless the decimal number is a meaningful and
significant interval that you expect map readers to measure. The map scale should be
long enough to be useful, but not too long.