A map of a project site that is 340 miles (north-south) by 160 miles (east-west) needs to be shown on an 8 ½ in x 11 in sheet of paper with 1 in margins. At what scale does the map need to be plotted?
A)1:121,542
B)1:135,168
C)1:1,351,680
D)1:2,154,240

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The scale of the map needs to be plotted at1:2,154,240.
Solution
1. Determine the available area on the sheet of paper.
(8 ½ in - 1 in) = 7 ½ in and (11 in - 1 in) = 10, so available area = 7 ½ in x 10 in
2. Determine sheet orientation.
The longer dimension of the project site is 340 miles (north-south), so the north-south dimension should go along the 10 in dimension of the paper.
3. Compute the scales for both dimensions and use the smaller scale for the drawing.
North-south 10 in = 340 miles
1 in = (340 miles x 63360 in/mile)/(10 in)
1 in = 2,154,240 in
Scale: 1:2,154,240 (smaller)
East-west 7.5 in = 160 miles
1 in = (160 miles x 63360 in/mile)/(7.5 in)
1 in = 1,351,680 in
Scale: 1:1,351,680
Need a map at scale 1:2,154,240 or smaller

A Map of a Project Site That Is 340 Miles