September+14+2010+Scale+Model

A scale model is a picture or a statue of an object that would normally be too big or too small to see or touch in its entirity. So a model is made much larger or much smaller than the real thing so it is easier to learn about. For examlple, scientists might have a scale model of a tiny insect that is too small to see. The model allows the scientist to study the parts of the insect more easily.



 1. Can you think of something else, besides an insect, that you might want a larger model of?

 We can also have a model of an object that is very large - too large to have the real object inside the class room. This is usually the case when we study geography - learning about planet Earth; the countries, mountains, and oceans. Since we can't always go to these places and we certainly can't bring these places into the class, we study maps that represent these places. Maps are scale models.



When we make a scale model, it is important that we shrink or enlarge each part of the object by the same amount. That's what "to scale" means. For example, let's say you wanted to make a scale model of yourself - a huge statue of you! If you are 1 meter tall and the statue you want to make of yourself will be 10 meters tall (10 times taller than you really are). That means that the statue's head will have to be 10 times bigger than your real head, the statue's arms will be 10 times longer and thicker than your actual arms, the statue's legs will also be 10 times longer and thicker than your actual legs and so on. Every part of the statue will be 10 times larger than your real part. If you did not do this, say you made the statue's head much, much larger say 20 times larger than your real head, the model would not be to scale (and it would look pretty funny too!)



 When you look at a good map, it will always be to scale. Every map you explore may have a different scale. The scale will always be indicated on the map - usually written in the lower left hand corner of the map. An example of a scale that you might read on a map is "1 cm equals 100 km". What does this mean? It is telling you that if something measures 1 cm on the map, in real life, it is actually 100 km.

 A scale on a map could also be represented as a symbol: a line of a certain length with a distance written on top, say 1 km. This would mean, what ever length this line segment is on the map, it represents 1 km in real life.





 http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-for-kids/0027-map-key-and-scale.php