If the scale of a map is 1:50,000 and the distance between two points on the map is 10cm, what is the actual distance on the ground?
To find the actual distance on the ground, you need to use the scale provided on the map. The scale of 1:50,000 means that 1 unit on the map represents 50,000 units in real life. In this case, the units are centimeters.
Here's how you can calculate the actual distance on the ground:
1. Identify the ratio in the scale. In this case, the ratio is 1:50,000, where 1 represents the map distance and 50,000 represents the real-life distance.
2. Determine the map distance. Given that the distance between the two points on the map is 10 cm, this is the map distance.
3. Set up a proportion using the scale. The proportion will look like: 1 cm (map distance) is to 50,000 cm (real-life distance) as 10 cm (map distance) is to x cm (real-life distance). Let x represent the actual distance on the ground that we want to find.
1 cm / 50,000 cm = 10 cm / x cm
4. Solve the proportion for x. Cross-multiply and then divide to get:
1 * x = 10 * 50,000
x = 500,000 cm
Therefore, the actual distance on the ground between the two points is 500,000 centimeters.