Plan a Route Using Map Distances

5 questions0m 0s

Learn the skill

Read the scale for the specific map. Multiply a printed map length by the real distance represented by one centimeter. Add route segments before converting, or convert each segment and then add.

Worked example

On a map where 1 cm represents 200 m, a 3 cm route represents 3 x 200 = 600 m. Use the stated measurements, not a ruler on a resized screen.

Three equal map intervals each represent two hundred meters. Together three centimeters at 1:20,000 represents six hundred meters, or zero point six kilometers. — Use the printed labels, not screen size: a resized diagram is not a ruler. Example scale is 1:20,000.

A Fictional Town Map

The map scale is 1 cm = 200 m. Measured along the marked routes: school to park is 4 cm, park to library is 3 cm, and school directly to library is 5 cm. All listed lengths are route lengths, not a promise that the paths are straight.

Question 1 The school-to-park route measures 4 cm. How many meters is it? Answer

Question 2 The park-to-library route measures 3 cm. How many meters is it? Answer

Question 3 A trip goes school to park, then park to library. How many meters is the whole trip? Answer

Question 4 The direct school-to-library route measures 5 cm. How many meters shorter is it than the route through the park? Answer

Question 5 A marked trail is 1800 m long. How many centimeters represents it on this map? Answer