To find out how far things really are using a map, just follow these simple steps:

1. Know the Scale: The scale on a map is usually shown as a ratio or a drawing. For example, if the scale says 1:100,000, it means that 1 unit on the map stands for 100,000 units in real life.

2. Measure the Distance on the Map: Grab a ruler and measure how far apart two points are on the map. Let's pretend you measured 5 cm.

3. Change the Map Distance to Real Distance:

   • Now, using the scale, we can figure out the real distance:
   • With a scale of 1:100,000, use this easy formula: [ \text{Real Distance} = \text{Map Distance} \times \text{Scale Factor} ]
   • If we put our numbers in: [ \text{Real Distance} = 5 , \text{cm} \times 100,000 = 500,000 , \text{cm} ]

4. Change Units: Since we know that 1 kilometer (km) equals 100,000 centimeters (cm), we can convert the real distance: [ 500,000 , \text{cm} = \frac{500,000}{100,000} = 5 , \text{km} ]

5. Wrap Up: So, the real distance between those two points is 5 kilometers.