What are Scales?

Hello, Year 4! Today, we’re going to learn about scales. Scales are used to show how big or small something is compared to something else. You often see scales on maps, in models, or even in recipes!

Understanding Scales

A scale tells us how much smaller or larger something is compared to the real thing. For example, when you look at a map, you might see that 1 cm on the map equals 1 km in real life. This means that everything on the map is much smaller than it is in real life.

Example of Scales

  • 1:100 Scale: This means that 1 unit on the drawing is equal to 100 units in real life.
    • If a building is 2 cm tall on the drawing, it is actually 200 cm tall in real life (because 2 cm × 100 = 200 cm).

Key Rules

  1. Always Check the Scale: Before you use a scale, make sure you know what it means.
  2. Use the Scale to Measure: If you’re measuring something, remember to multiply or divide according to the scale ratio.
  3. Keep Units the Same: When using scales, always try to use the same units (e.g., cm, m, km) for both the scale and the real measurements.

Tips and Tricks

  • Draw a Line: If you’re working with a scale, draw a line using a ruler to help you see how long something is.
  • Make it Visual: You can make a simple picture to represent the scale. For example, drawing a small car on a map can show how the size of the car is different from its size in real life.
  • Practice with Objects: Find small objects around your home and create a scale model of them. This could be a toy or a drawing!

Questions on Scales

Easy Level Questions

  1. What does a scale do?
  2. If 1 cm on a map equals 100 m in real life, how many meters is 3 cm on the map?
  3. What is the scale if 1 cm represents 1 km?
  4. If a toy car is 5 cm long, how long is it in real life if the scale is 1:20?
  5. On a scale of 1:50, how long would a house that is 3 m be on the drawing?
  6. If 2 cm on a scale equals 200 m, how many meters is 4 cm?
  7. What would a tree that is 10 m tall be at a scale of 1:10?
  8. If a drawing shows a bike that is 2 cm long, what is the real length if the scale is 1:25?
  9. What is twice the length of something that is 1 cm on a scale of 1:10?
  10. If a map has a scale of 1:1000, how many metres does 1 cm represent?

Medium Level Questions

  1. If the scale of a garden plan is 1:40, how long is a path that is 8 cm on the plan?
  2. A model of a train is 4 cm long. If the scale is 1:50, how long is the real train?
  3. If 5 cm on a map equals 2 km, how many cm are in 4 km?
  4. A model car is 6 cm long. What would be the real length if the scale is 1:20?
  5. If a building is drawn at 3 cm tall using a scale of 1:25, how tall is it in real life?
  6. Calculate the real distance if a map shows 10 cm and the scale is 1:500.
  7. If a drawing is at a scale of 1:15, how long is a 30 cm fence in real life?
  8. The scale on a blueprint is 1:100. If a wall is 5 cm long on the blueprint, how long is it in real life?
  9. If the scale is 1:10 and the model is 15 cm, how tall is the actual object?
  10. A scale model of a ship is 25 cm long. If the scale is 1:200, how long is the real ship?

Hard Level Questions

  1. A 12 cm tall tree on a drawing has a scale of 1:30. How tall is the real tree?
  2. If 1 cm on a map represents 500 m, how far is 15 cm in real life?
  3. A drawing shows a rectangle measuring 8 cm by 4 cm at a scale of 1:25. What are the real dimensions?
  4. If a model of a building is 10 cm long at a scale of 1:100, how long is the actual building?
  5. A scale of 1:250 means 1 cm equals how many metres?
  6. If you have a model that is 50 cm long at a scale of 1:10, how long is it in real life?
  7. A park is drawn at a scale of 1:200. If it is 30 cm long on the plan, how long is it in reality?
  8. If a scale is 1:500, how many cm on the map equals 1 km?
  9. A length of 7 cm on a scale drawing represents how many metres if the scale is 1:200?
  10. A scale model of a bridge is 20 cm long. If the scale is 1:100, how long is the real bridge?

Answers

Easy Level Answers

  1. A scale shows the size difference between a drawing and the real object.
  2. 300 m (3 cm × 100 m = 300 m).
  3. 1 km means 1000 m.
  4. 100 cm (5 cm × 20 = 100 cm).
  5. 1.5 m (3 m × 1/50 = 1.5 m).
  6. 400 m (4 cm × 100 m = 400 m).
  7. 100 m (10 m × 1/10 = 1 m).
  8. 50 cm (2 cm × 25 = 50 cm).
  9. 2 cm (1 cm × 2 = 2 cm).
  10. 1000 m (1 cm × 1000 = 1000 m).

Medium Level Answers

  1. 320 m (8 cm × 40 = 320 m).
  2. 200 m (4 cm × 50 = 200 m).
  3. 5 cm (4 km ÷ 2 km/cm = 5 cm).
  4. 120 cm (6 cm × 20 = 120 cm).
  5. 75 m (3 cm × 25 = 75 m).
  6. 5000 m (10 cm × 500 = 5000 m).
  7. 450 cm (30 cm × 15 = 450 cm).
  8. 5 m (5 cm × 100 = 500 cm).
  9. 150 cm (15 cm × 10 = 150 cm).
  10. 5000 cm (25 cm × 200 = 5000 cm).

Hard Level Answers

  1. 360 m (12 cm × 30 = 360 m).
  2. 7500 m (15 cm × 500 = 7500 m).
  3. 200 m by 100 m (8 cm × 25 = 200 m and 4 cm × 25 = 100 m).
  4. 1000 m (10 cm × 100 = 1000 m).
  5. 2500 m (1 cm × 250 = 2500 m).
  6. 500 m (50 cm × 10 = 500 m).
  7. 6000 m (30 cm × 200 = 6000 m).
  8. 100 cm (1 km = 100,000 cm, so 1 km is 100 cm in scale).
  9. 1400 m (7 cm × 200 = 1400 m).
  10. 2000 m (20 cm × 100 = 2000 m).

I hope this helps you understand scales better! Keep practicing, and you’ll become a scale expert in no time!