Question

The scale on the map is stated as 1:200,000. A main road connects two towns which are 28 km apart. How far away is it on the main map, in centimetres, between the two towns along the main road?

a) 14 cm
b) 0.14 cm
c) 1400 cm
d) 280,000 cm

Answer 1

To find the distance on a map between two towns that are 28 km apart using a scale of 1:200,000, convert 28 km to centimeters and then divide by the scale factor to get 14 cm as the map distance.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question involves understanding a map scale and converting real-world distances to distances on a map. The map scale given is 1:200,000, which means 1 unit on the map is equal to 200,000 units in reality. To convert the real distance between two towns, which is 28 kilometers, to the map distance in centimeters, we need the following steps:

1. First, convert the distance from kilometers to centimeters. Since 1 kilometer is equal to 100,000 centimeters (1km = 1000m, 1m = 100cm), the real distance is 28 km * 100,000 cm/km = 2,800,000 cm.
2. Now, use the scale factor to convert the real distance to the map distance. Divide the actual distance in centimeters by the scale factor (in centimeters): 2,800,000 cm / 200,000 = 14 cm.

Therefore, the correct answer is (a) 14 cm, which is the distance on the map between the two towns.