Three skills let you place anything on a map: scale to measure, direction to point, and grid references to name a spot. This lesson gives one rule for each and one example that uses all three.
It is the first lesson in SPM Geography map and graph skills. Each skill has its own set of lessons: topographic direction and position and topographic scale, distance and area.
What is the rule for each skill?
| Skill | Rule | Quick check |
|---|---|---|
| Scale | Map distance × scale number gives ground distance | Units match at the end |
| Direction | Stand at the start point and look at the target | Use the north arrow, not the page edge |
| Grid reference | Eastings first, then northings | Write digits without spaces |
The grid lines are numbered along the edges. Give the lower left corner of the square you mean.
Worked example: an original map with a school and a bridge
An original map has a scale of 1:25 000. A school sits in the square with the lower left corner at easting 42 and northing 57, so its four-figure reference is 4257. A bridge is 6.4 cm east and 3.2 cm north of the school on the map.
Question: “State the ground distance from the school to the bridge in a straight line, and the direction of the bridge from the school.”
The straight line is the diagonal of 6.4 cm by 3.2 cm, so the map distance is about 7.2 cm (6.4² + 3.2² = 51.2, and √51.2 ≈ 7.2). At 1:25 000, 1 cm is 250 m, so 7.2 cm is 1 800 m, or 1.8 km.
The bridge is further east than north, so its direction from the school is east-north-east.
The mistake: reversing the numbers
A typical slip is writing the school’s reference as 5742. That names a different square, the one with easting 57 and northing 42.
Check by asking: which line did I read along the bottom? If you went up first, swap the pairs. The phrase “along the corridor, then up the stairs” keeps the order.
Check yourself
On the same map, a clinic is in the square at easting 44 and northing 57. Give its four-figure reference, and state its direction from the school.
Answer
The reference is 4457: easting 44 first, then northing 57.
The clinic is two squares east of the school (42 to 44) and level with it (57), so it lies due east of the school.
What to study next
Go deeper with reading four-figure and six-figure grid references, then test your whole range in the map and graph practice set.
For a teacher to check your grid and scale working, see online one-to-one Geography tuition.