Mapping Space Around Us: A map is a symbolic representation of a space that highlights relationships between objects, regions, or themes. Many maps are static, meaning they are set on paper or another durable medium, although others are dynamic and interactive.

You’ve been studying maps since you were in elementary school. In Geography, you were required to locate a certain state, a specific river, a specific mountain, and so on, on a map. You may have been asked to pinpoint a specific location where a long-ago event occurred in History. You’ve followed the river, road, railway, and commercial routes, among many others. Let us learn about mapping.

Mapping Space

A map depicts the relationship between one object/place and other objects/places. Symbols are used to represent various objects or locations. An object closer to the observer is the same size as one farther away on a map.

Learn Important Geometry Formulas

When the maps are drawn to different scales, the distances in the two maps will differ. The longer the distance indicated by \({\rm{1\,cm}}\), the larger the location and the smaller the size of the map depicted. As a result, we can summarise:

1. A map shows where one object or place is about other objects or places.
2. Symbols are used to represent various objects and locations.
3. The map has no reference or perspective, meaning objects closer to the observer are depicted as the same size as those farther away. 
4. A scale is used on maps that are set for each map. It proportionally decreases actual distances to distances on paper.

What are Maps?

A map is a visual depiction of a complete area or a portion of an area, usually on a flat surface. A map’s purpose is to depict specific and detailed features of a certain area, and it is mostly used to depict geography. Static, two-dimensional, three-dimensional, dynamic, and even interactive maps are all available. Political boundaries, physical characteristics, roads, geography, population, climates, natural resources, and economic activity are all shown on maps.

Surrounding Mapping

What is the best way to read a map? What can we deduce and comprehend by reading a map? What information does a map contain, and what information does it not contain? Is it any different than looking at a picture? We’ll look for solutions to some of these questions in this part. Look at the map of a house alongside:

What can we deduce from the image above? A picture attempts to reflect reality as seen with all its details, but a map depicts the location of an object about other objects. Second, depending on the angle from which they view the house, different people can give completely different descriptions of the same picture. In the case of a map, however, this is not the case. Regardless of the observer’s position, the house’s map remains the same. In other words, while perspective is vital when painting a picture, it is irrelevant while designing a map.

Now, look at another map drawn by a girl which shows a route of the house to her school.

This map is distinct from the previous ones. The girl has used several symbols to represent certain landmarks. Second, she has drawn longer line segments for longer distances and shorter line segments for lesser distances, indicating that she has drawn the map to scale.

As a result, we can see how symbols and distances have made it easier to read the map. Keep in mind that the map’s distances are proportional to the real distances on the ground. This is achieved by using a correct scale. When designing (or reading) a map, one must be aware of the scale to which it must be drawn (or has been drawn), i.e., how much actual distance is signified by \({\rm{1\,mm}}\) or \({\rm{1\,cm}}\) on the map. This means that while drawing a map, one must select whether each \({\rm{1\,cm}}\) of space on the map represents a fixed distance of \({\rm{1\,km}}\) or \({\rm{10\,km}}\) This scale can differ from one map to another, but not within a map.

Applications of Maps and Models

In Geography, students use many maps of India and Asia. Consider the map of India, which depicts the locations of the country’s largest cities. To find the ratio between two distances, measure the distance between any two cities displayed on the map and compare it to the actual distance between those two cities. Similarly, select two more cities on the map and compare their distance (on the map) to the actual distance between them to determine the ratio between the two distances; we discover that the ratio of distances is the same in both situations.

Every map already has this ratio indicated (written) as a scale factor, denoted by the letter \(k.\)

Example: If the scale of a map is  \(1:20,000,\) this implies that a distance of \({\rm{1cm}}\) on the map is equal to an actual distance of \(20,000 \mathrm{~cm}(0.2 \mathrm{~km})\) on the ground. And, also scale factor \(k=\frac{1}{20,000} .\)

Solution: The same principle applies to models. In the case of models,
\(\frac{\text { Height of the model }}{\text { Height of the object }}=\frac{\text { Length of the model }}{\text { Length of the object }}\)
\( = \frac{{{\text{Width}}\,{\text{of}}\,{\text{the}}\,{\text{model}}}}{{{\text{Width}}\,{\text{of}}\,{\text{the}}\,{\text{object}}}}\)
\(=\) Scale factor \((k)\)
If the scale factor is \(k,\) then:
1. Each side of the resulting figure (the image) is \(k\) times the corresponding side of the given figure (the object or the pre-image). 
2. The area of the resulting figure is \(k^{2}\) times the area of the given figure. 
3. In the case of solids, the volume of the resulting figure is \(k^{3}\) times the volume of the given figure.

Solved Examples – Mapping Space Around Us

Q.1. Draw the shortest street route from the library to the bus depot.

Ans: The shortest street route from the library to the bus depot is as follows:

Q.2. Which is further south, the primary school or senior secondary school?

Ans: The senior secondary school is located further south between the primary and senior level schools. As a result, we can see how the effective use of colours has made it easier to discover the appropriate areas and the path we need to travel.

Q.3. Is it the city park or the market that is farther east?

Ans: The city park lies further east between the market and the city park.

Q.4. A model of a ship is made to a scale of \(1:200.\) If the length of the model is \(4\,{\rm{m}};\) calculate the length of the ship.
Ans: Clearly, the scale factor \(k=\frac{1}{200}\)
And the length of model \(=k\) times the length of the ship.
\(\Longrightarrow 4 m=\frac{1}{200} \times\) The length of the ship
\(\Longrightarrow\)The length of the ship \(=800 \mathrm{~m}\)

Q.5. The scale of the map is \(1:50000.\) In the map, a triangular plot \(PQR\) of land has the following dimensions: \(PQ = 2\,{\rm{cm,}}\,{\rm{QR = 3}}{\rm{.5}}\,{\rm{cm}}\) and angle \(PQR = {90^{\rm{o}}}.\) Calculate:
i. The actual length of side \(QR,\) in \({\rm{km}},\) of the land. 
ii. The area of the plot in \({\rm{sq}}{\rm{. km}}{\rm{.}}\)
Ans: Scale factor \(k=\frac{1}{50,000}\)
i. Length of side \(QR\) in the map \(=k\) times the actual length of side \(QR\) in the land.
\(\Rightarrow 3.5 \mathrm{~cm}=\frac{1}{50,000} \times\) actual length of \(QR\)
\(\Longrightarrow\) Actual length of \(Q R=50,000 \times 3.5 \mathrm{~cm}=1.75 \mathrm{~km}\)
ii. Since the area of triangle \(PQR\) in the map \(=\frac{1}{2} \times 2 \mathrm{~cm} \times 3.5 \mathrm{~cm}=3.5 \mathrm{sq.cm}\)
And, the area of \(\Delta PQR\) in the map \(=k^{2}\) times the actual area of triangular plot \(PQR.\)
\(\Rightarrow 3.5 \mathrm{~cm}^{2}=\left(\frac{1}{50,000}\right)^{2} \times\) actual area of the plot
\(\Longrightarrow\) Actual area of the plot \(=3.5 \times 50,000 \times 50,000\, \mathrm{sq.cm}=0.875\, \mathrm{sq} . \mathrm{cm}\)

Summary 

In this article, we learnt about the introduction of mapping space, definition of maps, surrounding mapping, applications to maps and models, solved examples on mapping space around us and FAQs on mapping space around us.

The learning outcome of this article is that the primary goal of the maps is to depict the position of a site and the distribution of variables and people.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q.1. What is space?
Ans: Space is commonly thought of as an infinite three-dimensional quantity in which things and events have relative position and direction. Physical space is frequently thought of in three dimensions. Still, current physicists consider it, along with time, to be part of a never-ending four-dimensional continuum known as space-time.

Q.2. What is map and types?
Ans: Political and physical maps are the two most common forms of maps. Physical maps depict the land’s shape, such as hills, lakes, forests, and the coast. Political maps depict how people use the land – counties, provinces, countries, town boundaries, etc.

Q.3. What are three different types of maps?
Ans: The reference map, thematic map, and dynamic map are the three sorts of maps for clarity’s purpose.

Q.4. What are the 6 features of a map?
Ans: The title, direction, legend(symbols), north areas, distance(scale), labels, grids and index, and citation are the main components of maps that make it easier for people like us to grasp.

Q.5. Why do we need a scale on the map?
Ans: The scale helps in examining the map’s area. This is because it helps the map reader measure the map’s various dimensions, such as width and length. The scale is used to enlarge and reduce maps. The scale determines the number of content/features that a map will contain.

We hope this detailed article on mapping space around us helped you in your studies. If you have any doubts, queries or suggestions regarding this article, feel to ask us in the comment section and we will be more than happy to assist you. Happy learning!