<P> The scale of a map is the ratio of a distance on the map to the corresponding distance on the ground . This simple concept is complicated by the curvature of the Earth 's surface , which forces scale to vary across a map . Because of this variation , the concept of scale becomes meaningful in two distinct ways . The first way is the ratio of the size of the generating globe to the size of the Earth . The generating globe is a conceptual model to which the Earth is shrunk and from which the map is projected . </P>
<P> The scale of a map is the ratio of a distance on the map to the corresponding distance on the ground . This simple concept is complicated by the curvature of the Earth 's surface , which forces scale to vary across a map . Because of this variation , the concept of scale becomes meaningful in two distinct ways . The first way is the ratio of the size of the generating globe to the size of the Earth . The generating globe is a conceptual model to which the Earth is shrunk and from which the map is projected . </P>
what does the scale of a map show
what does the scale of a map show
the ratio of a distance on the map to the corresponding distance on the ground
the ratio of a distance on the map to the corresponding distance on the ground