MAPS: DIRECTION, SCALE, LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE

DETERMINING DISTANCE WITH A SCALE BAR

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
 
In order to do these exercises the first thing that we have to do is measure the scale bar.

From the graph above, we can determine that 1 7/16 of an inch is equal to 1 mile and this will be the conversion factor that we will use in all of our calculations.
 

EXAMPLE 1 - Determine the horizontal distance (straight line) between Tenement Museum and the Baruch Houses in feet.

First we know that 1 7/16 is equal to 1 mile, then using the ruler we measure the distance between the Tenement Musuem and the Baruch Houses and that is equal to 15/16 of an inch.

So, the distance between Tenement Museum and the Baruch House in feet is 3,443.48 feet.
 
EXAMPLE 2 - Determine the horizontal distance (straight line) between Baruch Houses and Brooklyn Navy Yard in miles.

First we know that 1 7/16 is equal to 1 mile, then using the ruler we measure the distance between Baruch Houses and Brooklyn Navy Yard and that is equal to 1 15/16 inches.

So, the distance between Baruch Houses and Brooklyn Navy Yard in miles is 1.35 miles.
 
EXAMPLE 3 - Determine the horizontal distance (straight line) between stock Exchange and Baruch Houses in kilometers.

First we know that 1 7/16 is equal to 1 mile, then using the ruler we measure the distance between Stock Exchange and Baruch Houses and that is equal to 2 13/16 inches.

So, the distance between Stock Exchange and Baruch Houses in kilometers is 3.13 kilometers.
 

 

 

 

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