What does “scale” mean?
Simply defined, scale is the relationship between distance on the map and distance on the ground. A map scale might be given in a drawing (a graphic scale), but it usually is given as a fraction or a ration– 1/10,000 or 1:10,000. These “representative fraction” scales mean that one unit of measurement on the map–1 inch or 1 centimeter represents 10,000 of the same units on the ground. If the scale were 1:63,360, for instance, then 1 inch on the map would represent 63,360 inches or 1 mile on the ground (63,360 inches divided by 12 inches = 5,280 feet or 1 mile). The first number (map distance) is always 1. The second number (ground distance) is different for each scale; the larger this second number is, the smaller the scale of the map. “The larger the number, the smaller the scale” sounds confusing, but it is easy to understand. A map of an area 100 miles long by 100 miles wide drawn to a scale of 1:63,360 would be more than 8 feet square! To make this map a more convenient size, eit
