CST Level 1 Land Surveyor Certification 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

To determine the representative fraction for a scale of 1 cm = 500 meters, it’s essential to convert the units to the same measurement. The scale indicates that 1 centimeter on the map corresponds to 500 meters in reality.

Knowing that 1 meter equals 100 centimeters, we can convert 500 meters into centimeters:

500 meters × 100 cm/meter = 50,000 centimeters.

This means that 1 centimeter on the map represents 50,000 centimeters in the real world. In terms of a representative fraction, this can be expressed as:

1 cm on the map : 50,000 cm in reality.

To create a representative fraction, we simplify the relationship by removing the units, which results in 1:50,000. This format is widely used in cartography and is helpful since it clearly denotes that 1 unit (in this case, centimeter) on the map corresponds to 50,000 of the same units in real life.

This understanding elucidates why the correct answer is 1:50,000, as it accurately represents the scale relationship given in the question.