Grade 6 Geography — Map scale and distance
Use a map's scale to turn a length measured on the map into the real distance on the ground, and turn a real distance back into a length on the map.
Name: ________________________
1.On this map, 2 inches stands for 10 miles. Sort each length measured on the map by the real distance it stands for.
Groups: Less than 50 miles on the ground · More than 50 miles on the ground
- 6 inches
- 4 inches
- 12 inches
- 16 inches
- 14 inches
- 8 inches
2.On a map, 3 inches stands for 12 miles. Two towns are 5 inches apart on the map. Tap how far apart they are on the ground, in miles.
Mark the line with an X.
3.On a map, 2 inches stands for 10 miles. Two villages are 6 inches apart on the map. How far apart are they on the ground, in miles?
4.On a map, 2 inches stands for 6 miles. A road is 18 miles long on the ground. How long is that road on the map, in inches?
5.Every one of these lengths was measured on the same map, where 2 inches stands for 8 miles. Match each one to the real distance it stands for, in miles.
- 2 inches
- 3 inches
- 5 inches
- 10 inches
- 40
- 12
- 20
- 8
6.On a map, 3 inches stands for 9 miles. How many miles does a length of 2 inches stand for on that map?
7.On a map, 5 inches stands for 20 miles. Two wells are 3 inches apart on the map. How far apart are they on the ground, in miles?
8.What does the scale on a map tell you?
- a) What each mark on the map stands for
- b) Which place the map is showing
- c) How much real ground a length measured on the map stands for
- d) Which way north lies on the page
Answer key — Grade 6 Geography — Map scale and distance
- 1. 4 inches → Less than 50 miles on the ground; 12 inches → More than 50 miles on the ground; 6 inches → Less than 50 miles on the ground; 14 inches → More than 50 miles on the ground; 8 inches → Less than 50 miles on the ground; 16 inches → More than 50 miles on the ground
- 2. 20
- 3. 30
- 4. 6
- 5. 2 inches → 8; 3 inches → 12; 5 inches → 20; 10 inches → 40
- 6. 6
- 7. 12
- 8. c) How much real ground a length measured on the map stands for