MAPS: DIRECTION, SCALE, LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE

DETERMINING DISTANCE WITH A RATIO SCALE
CONVERSION UNITS
12 inches = 1 foot or 12" = 1'
 
5,280 feet = 1 mile or 5,280' = 1m
 
1mile = 1.6 kilometers or 1m = 1.6km
 
EXAMPLE 1 - Determine the horizontal distance (straight line) between Los Angeles and Phoenix in feet.

First we observe that the ratio scale states that 1:25,000,000, since we will be using inches we can translate that statement to 1 inch on the map is equal to 25,000,000 on the ground. Then using the ruler, we see that the distance in inches between Los Angeles and Phoenix is equal to 15/16 of an inch.

So, the distance between Los Angeles and Phoenix in feet is 1,953,125 feet.
 
EXAMPLE 2 - Determine the horizontal distance (straight line) between Salt Lake City and Santa Fe in miles.

First we observe that the ratio scale states that 1:25,000,000, since we will be using inches we can translate that statement to 1 inch on the map is equal to 25,000,000 on the ground. Then using the ruler, we see that the distance in inches between Salt Lake City and Santa Fe is equal to 1 3/16 of an inch.

So, the distance between Salt Lake City and Santa Fe in miles is 469 miles.
 
EXAMPLE 3 - Determine the horizontal distance (straight line) between Portland and Santa Fe in kilometers.

First we observe that the ratio scale states that 1:25,000,000, since we will be using inches we can translate that statement to 1 inch on the map is equal to 25,000,000 on the ground. Then using the ruler, we see that the distance in inches between Portland and Santa Fe is equal to 2 13/16 of an inch.

So, the distance between Portland and Santa Fe in kilometers is 1,776 kilometers.
 

 

 

 

©David Leveson and Guillermo Rocha/Brooklyn College - Earth and Environmental Sciences