Question

Write a short note on the following:

Statement of Scale

Answer 1

Statement of Scale, also known as Verbal Scale, describes the link between a distance on a map and the actual distance on the ground in words. It clearly shows how many units on the ground are represented by a specific unit on the map.

Advantages: The Representative Fraction (R.F.) is a universal scale that doesn’t depend on any specific unit, such as inches, centimeters, or versts. For example, if the R.F. is 1 : 1,00,000, it means 1 unit on the map equals 1,00,000 of the same units on the ground, whether it’s inches, cm, or any other unit. This makes it easy to use in any country. Because of this flexibility, it is also known as the International Scale or Natural Scale and is a very popular method for showing scale on maps.

Disadvantages:

1. This scale is only a fraction and does not utilise a unit system. Therefore, one cannot directly measure distance using this method.
2. When we photographically expand or decrease a map, the R.F. no longer holds true.
3. This is not easily understood by a common man.