Question

Two houses are 1.5 inches apart on the map. The actual distance between the houses is 8.1 miles. What is the scale of the map?

On a map, 1 inch represents miles.
(Type an integer or a decimal.)

Answer 1

If 1.5 inches on the map represent a distance of 8.1 miles in reality, we can use the proportion:

1.5 inches / 1 inch = 8.1 miles / x miles

where x is the actual distance represented by 1 inch on the map, and is the scale of the map we are looking for.

We can solve for x by cross-multiplying:

1.5x = 8.1

x = 8.1 / 1.5

x = 5.4

Therefore, the scale of the map is 1 inch represents 5.4 miles.

Answer 2

Answer: 5.4
8.1 / 1.5 = 5.4