Problem: Lexington, and Elizabethtown, Kentucky are 79 miles apart. If the distance on the map is 2 1/2 inches, find the scale of the map.
do i make a ratio for inches to miles?
is it 2.5x inches = 79 miles?
yes, but usually a unit of 1 is used
2.5 inches : 79 miles
1 inch : 79/2.5 mile
1 inch : 31.6 miles
If you use the same units, they can be skipped in the scale ...
31.6 miles = (31.6)(12)(5280) inches
2002176 inches
so you could state the scale as
1 : 2,002,176
To find the scale of the map, you can set up a ratio between the distance on the map and the actual distance.
Let's set up the ratio as follows:
2.5 inches on the map = 79 miles in reality
To find the scale, divide the mileage by the inches:
79 miles / 2.5 inches = 31.6 miles per inch
Therefore, the scale of the map is 31.6 miles per inch.
Yes, you are correct. To find the scale of the map, you need to create a ratio between the distance on the map (in inches) and the actual distance between the two cities (in miles).
Let's set up the ratio:
(distance on the map in inches) / (actual distance between the cities in miles) = (scale of the map)
In this case, you have 2 1/2 inches on the map and 79 miles between Lexington and Elizabethtown.
So the ratio becomes:
2.5 inches / 79 miles = (scale of the map)
To find the scale, we can cross-multiply and solve for the scale of the map.
2.5 inches * x (scale of the map) = 79 miles
Multiply both sides by x:
2.5 inches * x = 79 miles
Now divide both sides by 2.5 inches:
x = 79 miles / 2.5 inches
x = 31.6 miles/inch
Therefore, the scale of the map is 31.6 miles/inch.