Final answer:
To find the actual distance between two cities that are 3 1/2 inches apart on a map with a scale of 1/4 inch per mile, convert inches to miles using the scale factor, resulting in a distance of 14 miles.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks how many miles apart two cities are if they are 3 1/2 inches apart on a map with a scale where 1/4 inch represents 1 mile. To find the actual distance in miles, you need to perform a simple multiplication based on the given map scale.
First, convert the mixed number 3 1/2 inches to an improper fraction:
- 3 1/2 inches = 7/2 inches (since 3 * 2 + 1 = 7 and the denominator remains 2)
Next, know that if 1/4 inch equals 1 mile, then 1 inch equals 4 miles (since 1 divided by 1/4 equals 4). We multiply the number of inches by the scale factor to find the distance:
- 7/2 inches * 4 miles/inch = (7 * 4)/2 miles = 28/2 miles = 14 miles
Therefore, the two cities are 14 miles apart.