a road map uses a scale of 1 inch : 4 miles. if the distance on the map between two towns is 3.8 inches, what is the actual distance between these two towns?

Answer 1

Hi Thomas,

It may help you to write the scale in ratio form as:

1 inch

4 miles

The you can use equivalent ratios to fid the actual distance:

1 inch = 3.8 inches

4 miles x

1 inch • 3.8 = 3.8 inches

4 miles • 3.8 15.2 miles

They will be 15.2 miles apart.