Scale lab

Geographers use the word scale in two ways. The scale of analysis is the size of the unit each value describes: global (the world), regional (a group of countries), national (one country) or local (part of a country). Map scale is the ratio between the map and the ground, such as 1:50,000.

Here one invented data set is shown at all four scales of analysis, so you can watch the pattern change, and the map-scale ladder shows what large scale and small scale mean.

How this trainer works

Explore. Pick a scale. The map, the legend and the lines under it show what the data say at that scale and what they hide. New data set draws fresh invented numbers. Map scale shows what a map 10 cm across covers at each ratio, worked with the course's map-scale formula (map cm × the denominator ÷ 100,000 = ground km).

Test yourself. Seeded problems: name the scale of the data (never the size of the map), explain a relationship between two scales, find the limitation of a source at the wrong scale, and convert a map distance to the ground. Each step is checked on its own, and a wrong answer gets the reason for that exact slip. Every number is invented for practice; no real figure is shown.

Notes for this topic: Scales of Analysis