Map scales

THE DISTANCE shown on a map between two points is always the horizontal distance. The map is made as tho the observer were vertically above each point. This will be made clearer when the study of contours is reached.

The scale of a map is the ratio between the Kinds of length of the lines on the map and the length Scales of the lines they represent on the ground.

There are three ways of showing the scale of a map : The Graphical Scale ; the Words and Figures Scale; and the Natural Scale or Representative Fraction, commonly spoken of as the "Scale" or the "R. F."

The Graphical Scale is the most common The Graphi- and best known, and usually appears in con cal Scale junction with one of the other methods. It is simply a line or graph marked off in some common units, such as miles, yards, meters, kilometers. In Figure 1, the distance from A to B is 200 yards. It means that a space A-B on the map represents 200 yards on the ground. Similarly CD is 540 yards.

When speaking of the scale of a map or cal The "Words culating distances on it the "Words and and Figures" Figures" method is usually used. "6 inches Scale = 1 mile" obviously means that 6" on the map represent a distance of one mile on the ground. "10 cm. = 1 km." (See Table II on page 11) means that a space of 10 cm. on the map represents a dis tance of one kilometer on the ground. It is awkward for a man trained in the English system to use a map in the Metric system, and vice versa, and for that reason most mili tary and topographic maps have their scales given in the "Natural Scale" or "Representative Fraction" method.

(e) 2001-2008 Scientific journal & Academic publishing "Map of Ukraine"