What map scale term is the ratio of map distance to ground distance?

• A. Scale
• B. Planimetric Map
• C. Representative Fraction
• D. Protractor

Answer: (C)

Think about how a map tells you real-world distances. The term that names the ratio of a distance on the map to the corresponding distance on the ground is the representative fraction. It’s written as map distance over ground distance, like 1:50,000, meaning one unit on the map represents 50,000 units on the ground. The ratio form is unitless because the units cancel, so it stays the same whether you measure in inches and miles or centimeters and meters. A general scale could be a verbal or graphic description, but the specific ratio term you’re looking for is representative fraction. The other options describe a map type, a measuring tool, or a non-ratio sense of scale, not the precise ratio form.