Scale 1 : 25000, 8 cm on the map

Step by step

The question

Question: with the scale 1 : 25000, how long is 8 cm on the map for real?

The scale 1 : 25000 means: 1 cm on the map is 25000 cm for real.

Everything is 25000 times bigger.

1 Multiply both sides

On the map we have 8 cm.

That is 8 times 1 cm.

So the real length is 8 times 25000 cm too.

We multiply both sides by the same number, 8.

25000 times 8 is 200000.

So the real length is 200000 cm.

2 Change the unit

200000 cm is a big number.

100 cm make 1 m, so we divide by 100.

200000 divided by 100 is 2000.

So it is 2000 m.

1000 m make 1 km, so we divide by 1000 too.

So it is 2 km.

3 Check

Let's check: go back.

200000 divided by 25000 should give the map length, 8.

We get it again.

So 2 km is right!

Let's look back.

First: multiply both sides.

Then: change the unit.

Last: check.