Scale Drawings and Map Distance
Use scales to find real distances and drawing lengths
Scale Drawings and Map Distance
Use scales to find real distances and drawing lengths
Math - Grade 6-8
- 1
A map uses the scale 1 inch = 20 miles. The distance between two towns on the map is 3 inches. What is the actual distance between the towns?
Multiply the map distance by the number of real miles represented by 1 inch.
The actual distance is 60 miles because 3 inches times 20 miles per inch equals 60 miles. - 2
A scale drawing of a rectangular garden uses the scale 1 centimeter = 4 meters. The drawing is 6 centimeters long and 3 centimeters wide. What are the actual length and width of the garden?
The actual length is 24 meters and the actual width is 12 meters because 6 times 4 equals 24 and 3 times 4 equals 12. - 3
On a city map, 2 centimeters represents 5 kilometers. A road is 8 centimeters long on the map. How long is the road in real life?
Find how many groups of 2 centimeters are in 8 centimeters.
The road is 20 kilometers long in real life. Since 8 centimeters is 4 times 2 centimeters, the actual distance is 4 times 5 kilometers, which is 20 kilometers. - 4
A blueprint has a scale of 1 inch = 6 feet. A hallway is 4.5 inches long on the blueprint. What is the actual length of the hallway?
The actual length of the hallway is 27 feet because 4.5 times 6 equals 27. - 5
A model car is made using a scale of 1:24. If the model car is 7 inches long, what is the length of the real car in inches?
In a 1:24 scale, multiply the model length by 24 to find the real length.
The real car is 168 inches long because a scale of 1:24 means each 1 inch on the model represents 24 inches in real life, and 7 times 24 equals 168. - 6
A map scale says 1 centimeter = 15 miles. The actual distance between two cities is 90 miles. How far apart should the cities be on the map?
The cities should be 6 centimeters apart on the map because 90 divided by 15 equals 6. - 7
The scale drawing of a classroom uses 1 centimeter = 2 feet. A desk is 3 feet wide in real life. How wide should the desk be in the drawing?
Divide the real length by the amount represented by 1 centimeter.
The desk should be 1.5 centimeters wide in the drawing because 3 feet divided by 2 feet per centimeter equals 1.5 centimeters. - 8
A trail map shows a hiking path that is 12 centimeters long. The map scale is 3 centimeters = 2 kilometers. What is the actual length of the hiking path?
The actual length of the hiking path is 8 kilometers. Since 12 centimeters is 4 groups of 3 centimeters, the real distance is 4 times 2 kilometers, which is 8 kilometers. - 9
A scale drawing of a room has dimensions 8 inches by 5 inches. The scale is 1 inch = 3 feet. What is the actual area of the room in square feet?
First convert each side length to real feet, then multiply length by width.
The actual room is 24 feet by 15 feet, so the actual area is 360 square feet because 24 times 15 equals 360. - 10
Two towns are 42 miles apart in real life. On a map, they are 7 inches apart. What is the map scale in miles per inch?
The map scale is 1 inch = 6 miles because 42 miles divided by 7 inches equals 6 miles per inch. - 11
A floor plan uses the scale 1/4 inch = 1 foot. A wall is 3 inches long on the plan. What is the actual length of the wall?
Think of 1/4 inch as one unit on the drawing. Count how many fourth-inch units fit in 3 inches.
The actual wall is 12 feet long. Since 3 divided by 1/4 equals 12, the drawing length represents 12 feet. - 12
A park map has a scale bar showing that 5 centimeters represents 200 meters. A pond measures 3 centimeters across on the map. How wide is the pond in real life?
First find how many meters are represented by 1 centimeter.
The pond is 120 meters wide in real life. Since 1 centimeter represents 40 meters, 3 centimeters represents 3 times 40 meters, which is 120 meters.