MAPS, SCALES & SCALE TYPES

Map

A map is a two dimensional description of a specific area of land. Maps describe in a visual or graphic format certain key features of the territory being examined. Used by humans for hundreds of years With technology improvement in the quality and accuracy of maps

In the modern world, our ability to view and map the Earth is much improved. However, even today it is impossible to draw a flat map that is 100% accurate. This is due to the impossibility of recreating the surface of a round planet on a flat map. The smaller an area that a map represents, the more accurate that map will be.

The Key To Understanding Maps

A map is a visual representation of a much larger area of land. Maps represent a variety of information such as roads, tourist attractions and campgrounds, or they might represent the latest weather patterns. The objects on a map are represented using symbols. Maps use a key, or legend, to explain the meaning of each of the symbols used in the map. A map must by necessity be small enough to be handled by an individual Drawn To Scale When scaling down a map, every part of the map is scaled by the same amount.

What is Scale?

A scale on a map is the relationship between the physical object and the feature that represents it on a map. An example of this would be the length of a road on the ground and the way that the road is represented on a map.

Representing features on Maps.

University Road, the first image, on the ground is displayed clearly on the map, the second image.

How to represent features correctly!

If, for example, the length of a road is 1cm on a map and it measures 2500cm (or 25m or 0.025km) on the ground, the scale of the map is 1:2500. This would be called a large scale map as it can be represented as a very large fraction i.e. 1/2500. A smaller scale map would be 1:450,000 as its fraction is much smaller 1/450,000. 1cm on this map would represent 4.5km on the ground.

Large Scale Vs Small Scale

The slice in first represents: A large slice A large fraction A large amount of data and information on a map

The slice in second represents: A small slice A small fraction A small amount of data and information on a map

Small Scale

The small scale map above shows the Amritsar city and the surrounding area. It is an ideal map for somebody who wants to travel through and outside the town.

How does Small Scale Compare to a Large Scale Map?

The large scale map looks very hard to read as it contains an awful lot of detail and information. Large scale is best for concentrating on a small area like Golden temple

Large Scale
This type of map would be ideal if you wanted to see how to get from railway station or airport to the Golden temple. So, it is a good scale map to use if you wanted to have a lot of detail for a local neighbourhood.

Large Scale & Small Scale

The main points about large and small scale.

It is important to note the following:

Large

fraction=large scale=covering a small area. fraction=small scale=covering a large area.

Small

Large Scale & Small Scale

Large scale: Large representative fraction (1:50,000 or Larger)

Large scale: Large representative fraction (1:500 or Larger)

More detail Covers smaller spatial area of Earths surface

Locality map House plan

Intermediate Scale: 1:50,000 to 1:250,000 Small Scale: 1:250,000 to 1:7,500,000

Intermediate Scale: 1:10,000 to 1:15,000

Sub zone map

Small Scale: 1:50,000 to 1:1,00,000

City map

Less detail Covers larger spatial area of the Earths surface

Type of scales

There are three common methods used by map makers to depict scale.
The

Graphic Method, The Verbal Method, and The Fractional Method.

The Graphic Method

A Graphic Scale depicts scale using a line, with separations marked by smaller intersecting lines.

By measuring the distance between two objects on a map and then referring to the graphic scale, it is easy to calculate the actual distance between those same items.
Benefits of using a graphic scale.

Straight forward, easy way to determine scale. If a maps size is enlarged or decreased, the scale is also enlarged or reduced, meaning that it is still accurate.

The Verbal Method / Word Statement

The verbal method of depicting scale simply uses words to describe the ratio between the map's scale and the real world

A word statement gives a written description of scale, such as "One centimeter equals one kilometer" or "One centimeter equals ten kilometers."

1 cm = 1 Km Or 1 cm = 10 Km

Ineffective if the map is reproduced by a method such as photocopying and the size of the map is modified (Enlarge or Reduce)

The Fractional Method

The fractional method for portraying the scale of a map uses a representative fraction to describe the ratio between the map and the real world. This can be shown as 1:50,000 or 1/50,000.

In this example, 1 unit of distance on the map represents 50,000 of the same units of distance in the real world.
This means that 1 cm on the map represents 50,000 cm in the real world, 1 foot on the map represents 50,000 feet on the map, and so forth.

Scale Determination
When map dont have scale on map, then: Use of known features

Reference features as Football ground, tennis court

Use of line of Latitude and Longitude

Distance of 10 line of latitude is 111.133 km (average) can be useful to determine scale on ATLAS maps.

Use of Map Comparison

Another map from same area, having similar features can be helpful to determine scale.

Scale Conversion
Map scales can be converted from one form to another

RF to word-statement conversion Word statement to RF RF to graphic conversions Graphic conversions to RF

Scale Conversion

Thank You