MAP-SCALE PRACTICE WORKSHEET
Learning Cadence | Original fictional examples | November 7, 2026

MY DISTANCE CHECK
Map and date:
What am I measuring: a straight line or a route?
Ratio or labeled scale-bar interval:
Has the map been resized or zoomed?
Map measurement and unit:
Ground distance in the same unit:
Conversion to meters or kilometers:
Reverse check:
What the distance cannot tell me:

TRY BEFORE CHECKING
1. At 1:10,000, a line measures 7.2 cm. Find its ground distance in meters.
2. A bar labeled 500 m measures 2 cm. A route measures 8 cm. Find its distance.
3. A 900 m distance appears at 1:20,000 and 1:50,000. Find both map lengths and their difference.
4. An original 1:50,000 map has a 1 km bar measuring 2 cm and a route measuring 5 cm. Enlarge both lengths twofold. Calculate with the resized bar, then explain why the old ratio gives the wrong answer.

ANSWERS
1. 7.2 x 10,000 = 72,000 cm = 720 m. Reverse: 72,000 / 10,000 = 7.2 cm.
2. 8 / 2 x 500 = 2,000 m = 2 km.
3. 900 m = 90,000 cm. 90,000 / 20,000 = 4.5 cm; 90,000 / 50,000 = 1.8 cm. Difference 2.7 cm. The ground distance is unchanged.
4. The new bar measures 4 cm and the route 10 cm. 10 / 4 x 1 km = 2.5 km. Using the old ratio gives 10 x 500 m = 5 km, twice the correct distance. The effective new ratio is 1:25,000. The bar and map must be resized uniformly together.

There are 100 cm in 1 m and 100,000 cm in 1 km. A ratio compares the same unit on both sides. Do not measure the website illustration on your screen. These fictional calculations do not establish route access, walking time, safety or practical navigation competence.