On a map with a scale of 1:50,000, what distance does 3 centimeters on the map represent in reality?

On a map with a scale of 1:50,000, what distance does 3 centimeters on the map represent in reality?

• A. 0.5 kilometers
• B. 1.0 kilometers
• C. 1.5 kilometers
• D. 2.0 kilometers

Answer: (C)

Understanding map scale helps translate map distances into real-world distances. A scale of 1:50,000 means that every 1 centimeter on the map corresponds to 50,000 centimeters in reality. So, 3 centimeters on the map represents 3 × 50,000 = 150,000 centimeters in the real world. That’s 1,500 meters, or 1.5 kilometers. So the real distance is 1.5 kilometers. The other options would require a different map scale: for 0.5 kilometers the needed scale would be about 1:16,667; for 1.0 kilometer about 1:33,333; for 2.0 kilometers about 1:66,667.

Understanding map scale helps translate map distances into real-world distances. A scale of 1:50,000 means that every 1 centimeter on the map corresponds to 50,000 centimeters in reality. So, 3 centimeters on the map represents 3 × 50,000 = 150,000 centimeters in the real world. That’s 1,500 meters, or 1.5 kilometers. So the real distance is 1.5 kilometers. The other options would require a different map scale: for 0.5 kilometers the needed scale would be about 1:16,667; for 1.0 kilometer about 1:33,333; for 2.0 kilometers about 1:66,667.