What it does
A map is a drawing made smaller by the same amount in every direction. Its scale says by how much. A scale of 1 : 50 000 means 1 cm on the map stands for 50 000 cm on the ground, which is 500 m. A scale is just a ratio, so the same thinking scales a recipe up or down.
This page has three parts:
- Measure on the map. A made-up town is drawn on a grid of 1 cm squares. Drag the pins A and B (or pick two places from the lists) and the page measures the gap in centimetres, multiplies by the scale, and changes the answer into metres or kilometres, step by step. A scale bar in the corner changes with the scale.
- From real distance to the map. Type a real distance and see how long it would be on the map.
- Recipe scaler. A lemon rice recipe for 4 people, scaled to any number of people by multiplying every amount by the same factor.
It fits Class 8 Mathematics, proportional reasoning (scale drawings, maps and the unitary method), and links to geography map work. Mixes kept in the same ratio are shown in the ratio mixer; a scale drawing and the real thing are similar figures, with every length in the same ratio.
How to use it
- Tap a scale: 1 : 10 000, 1 : 25 000, 1 : 50 000 or 1 : 100 000.
- Drag a pin, or choose places in From and To. The big line gives the result; the steps show the working.
- In the second box, type a real distance in km.
- In the recipe, move the slider or type the number of people.
A worked example
The page starts with Home to School at 1 : 50 000.
- The pins are 8.1 cm apart on the map.
- Real distance = 8.1 × 50 000 = 405 000 cm.
- 100 000 cm = 1 km, so 405 000 cm = 4.05 km.
Switch to 1 : 100 000 and the same 8.1 cm stands for 8.1 km: twice the scale number, twice the distance.
Backwards: 3 km = 300 000 cm, and at 1 : 50 000 that is 300 000 ÷ 50 000 = 6 cm on the map.
Recipe for 6 people instead of 4: the factor is 6 ÷ 4 = 1.5, so 4 cups of rice become 6 cups and 60 g of peanuts become 90 g.
Check yourself
Four fresh questions each time: map to real distance, real distance to map, finding the scale, and scaling a recipe. Type the answer and press Check. Nothing is saved.
FAQ
Is 1 : 100 000 a bigger or smaller scale than 1 : 10 000? Smaller: things look smaller and the map covers more ground. 1 : 10 000 shows more detail of a small area.
Why is the measured distance shorter than the walk? The pins measure a straight line. Roads bend, so the trip along them is longer.
Is this from the NCERT book? It covers the same topic with fibub’s own pictures and examples. fibub is not part of NCERT.
Where the numbers come from
- Map scales written as ratios (1 : n), converting centimetres to kilometres, and scaling by a factor are standard school mathematics. Wording, pictures and examples are fibub's own.
- The town map and the recipe are made up for this page.
- Checked against hand-worked conversions (4 cm at 1 : 50 000 = 2 km; 6 km at 1 : 200 000 = 3 cm).
Standard scientific values, such as constants, atomic weights and melting points, are facts found in every textbook; we name where ours were checked. If you are an author or publisher and want a value, a credit or a table changed or removed, tell us and we will act quickly.
Last updated 2026-11-09.