Link to the lesson

The presentation of any area on the mapmapmap requires its image to be reduced. The degree of such a reduction, i.e. the map scalemap scalemap scale, shows the ratio of the distance between two points on the map to the corresponding distance in the field. The horizontal distance in a straight line is taken into account, not the real distance, taking into account the terrain. This can be written down as follows:

$\mathrm{map\; scale}= \frac{\mathrm{map\; distance}}{\mathrm{ground\; distance}}$

Depending on the type of the notation, there are several types of scale. When we write it as a fraction, it is called the numerical scalenumerical scalenumerical scale. It may, for example, be in the form of 1:100000 or 1/100000. Sometimes, the second way of notation is called a fractional scale. In both cases, this scale informs that one section on the map corresponds to 100,000 identical sections in the field. The actual length of the section, which is 2 cm on the map with the above scale, is 2 x 100000 of the same two‑centimetre sections in the field, i.e. 200000 cm, 2000 m or 2 km. Thus, 1 cm on this scale corresponds to 100000 cm, 1000 m, or 1 km.

We can present it as: 1 cm – 1 km (or 1 cm → 1 km). The notation is read in the following way: one centimetre on the map corresponds to one kilometre in the field. Such a scale is called the expressed scaleexpressed scaleexpressed scale.
Each scale can also be presented in a graphic form. We call it then the linear scalelinear scalelinear scale.

In relation to maps made in appropriate scales, the terms small scale or the large scale are often used. It is easier to understand the differences between them when you remember that the scale is a fraction, so the higher the number in the denominator, the smaller the scale. Since the numerical value of scale 1:1000 is much greater than 1:100000000, it is easy to interpret that the first is large and the second is small.

R1WZStGCiMrRG

Grafika przedstawia rodzaje skal: Skala liczbowa (numerical scale), skala werbalna (verbal scale), skala graficzna (graphic scale). Skala liczbowa to na przykład 1 : 100 000, czyli jeden do stu tysięcy. Skala werbalna to 1 cm - 1 km, czyli jeden centymetr na mapie symbolizuje jeden kilometr w terenie. Skala graficzna ma postać linijki na której zaznaczono kolejne cyfry od zero do siedem. Odległość między poszczególnymi cyframi na linijce symbolizuje jeden kilometr.

Types of maps

Due to the size of the scale, maps can be divided into three groups:

• large‑scale maps (in scales larger than 1: 200 000, e.g. plans for building plots, city plans, topographic maps, tourist maps);

• medium‑scale maps (from 1: 200 000 to 1: 1 000 000, e.g. car maps, overview maps, general geographical and thematic maps with larger scales);

• small‑scale maps (scales smaller than 1: 1 000 000, e.g. overview maps, general geographical and thematic maps with smaller scales, continental maps, world maps).

Keywords

map scale, map, distance

Glossary