Final answer:
To determine the distance between two cities on a map, a student should use the map's scale feature. This is a ratio that translates the printed map distances into real world measurements.
Step-by-step explanation:
In order to determine the distance between two cities on a map, a student should use the scale feature of the map. The scale provides a ratio that relates the distances on the map to actual distances on the ground. For example, a scale of 1:100,000 means that 1 inch on the map equals 100,000 inches in the real world. Just as astronomers use a system to map the stars and galaxies, mapmakers also apply a systematic approach to create accurate maps. They also use lines of latitude and longitude but these are mainly used to identify location on a map, not measure distance.
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