This document discusses the concept of scale as it relates to maps. It explains that scale allows maps to show real-world distances and areas in a reduced size by establishing a ratio between measurements on the map and in reality. For example, a scale of 1cm:250m means that 1cm on the map represents 250 meters in real life. The document provides examples of different map scales and how to use scales to determine real distances from measurements on a map. It also notes how scales can be written in different but equivalent ways, such as 1:25,000.

1. Scale

2. Thinking task - what is the
same and what is different
about these 2 maps?

3. Don’t go on to the next page until you have
done your thinking

4. What is the same?
• Both maps focus on the same part of the world!

5. What is the same?
• Both maps focus on the same part of the world!
• Both maps are the same size

6. What is different?
• The map on the left fits more of Barton on the
same size map.

7. What is different?
• The map on the left fits more of Barton on the
same size map.
• The map on the right has “zoomed in” on our school

8. What is different?
• The scale of the maps is different.

9. UNDERSTANDING SCALE
What is scale?
It wouldn't be possible for maps to show things the size they
are in real life, so maps make things smaller using scale.
Drawing something to scale means showing it at a different
size to what it is in real life.

10. UNDERSTANDING SCALE
What is scale?
It wouldn't be possible for maps to show things the size they
are in real life, so maps make things smaller using scale.
Drawing something to scale means showing it at a different
size to what it is in real life.
When maps are drawn to scale things are made many times
smaller than they really are. Because maps are important to a
lot of people, this process has to be very accurate.

11. What is scale?
4cm:1km
Scale is the ratio of the
size of objects on a
map compared to their
size in the real world.
1cm

12. What is scale?
4cm:1km
The scale of this map is 4cm:1km
So four centimetres on the map
represents one kilometre in the real
world.
1cm

13. What is scale?
4cm:1km
The scale of this map is 4cm:1km
So four centimetres on the map
represents one kilometre in the real
world.
1cm
A B
The distance from A to B on the map is
4cm. It would be 1km in the real world.

14. What is scale?
4cm:1km
How far would 1cm on the map
be in the real world?
1cm
A B
Use pencil jottings if you need to.

15. What is scale?
4cm:1km
How far would 1cm on the map
be in the real world?
1cm
A B
If 4cm on the map is 1km in the real
world…

16. What is scale?
4cm:1km
How far would 1cm on the map
be in the real world?
1cm
A B
If 4cm on the map is 1km in the real
world…
1cm on the map must be ¼ of a kilometre
(250 metres) in the real world

17. What is scale?
4cm:1km
We could write the scale as:
1cm:250m
1cm
A B

18. What is scale?
4cm:1km
We could write the scale as:
1cm:250m
1cm
A B
It would mean the same as
4cm:1km

19. What is scale?
4cm:1km
We could write the scale as:
1cm:250m
1cm
A B
This is important as it allows us
to calculate distance in the real
world

20. What is scale?
4cm:1km
We could write the scale as:
1cm:250m
1cm
A B
On the map, it is about 1cm from
the castle to the church…

21. What is scale?
4cm:1km
We could write the scale as:
1cm:250m
1cm
A B
On the map, it is about 1cm from
the castle to the church…
It must be about 250m in the real
world

22. What is scale?
4cm:1km
We could write the scale as:
1cm:250m
1cm
A B
It is a little confusing to use
mixed units on a scale

23. What is scale?
4cm:1km
We could write the scale as:
1cm:250m
1cm
A B
250 m is the same as 25000cm
So we could write our scale as
1cm:25000cm

24. What is scale?
4cm:1km
We could write the scale as:
1cm:250m
1cm
A B
The scale of this map would
usually be written like this:
1:25000

25. What is scale?
1:25000 is a very popular map
scale. It is ideal for walking.
Ordnance Survey Explorer maps
are 1:25000 scale

26. What is scale?
1:25000 is a very popular map
scale. It is ideal for walking.
Ordnance Survey Explorer maps
are 1:25000 scale

27. Why do maps have different scales?
Maps are sometimes called large or small scale.

28. Why do maps have different scales?
Maps are sometimes called large or small scale.
Large-Scale maps —
These are better for
showing individual
buildings in detail
because they only
cover a small area of
land.

29. Why do maps have different scales?
Maps are sometimes called large or small scale.
Small-Scale
maps — These are
ideal for travelling
either by car or
walking because
they cover large
areas of land.

30. What does scale look like on a map?
This line represents 2
kilometres in real life.

31. Or it may look like this… This means that 1cm on the
map equals 10,000 cm in real
life

32. This is an OS
Explorer map
The scale is 1:25000
So 1cm on the map
is 25000cm or 250m
in the real world.

33. This is an OS
Explorer map
The scale is 1:25000
So 1cm on the map
is 25000cm or 250m
in the real world.
4cm
The gridlines are
4cm apart. So each
square is 1000m
(1km wide)

34. Task 1:
The scale is 1:25000
So 1cm on the map
is 25000cm or 250m
in the real world.
What are the
distances shown by
the lines in the real
world?
A bigger version is
on the next page.

35. The scale is
1:25000
So 1cm
on the
map is
25000cm
or 250m
in the
real
world.

36. The scale is 1:25000
So 1cm on the map is 25000cm or
250m in the real world.
Task 2:
Bob drove from work to his
home. He worked out that the
distance shown by the map, is
2km
The computer in his car
however, said he had driven
3km
Bob drove straight home.
Can you explain why the
distances are different?

37. Task 3:
If the scale was
1:40000, what
would each distance
be in the real
world?