On a map, 1/4 inch represents 125 miles. How many miles do 5 inches represent?

On a map, 1/4 inch represents 125 miles. How many miles do 5 inches represent?

• A. 1,250 miles
• B. 3,125 miles
• C. 5,000 miles
• D. 2,500 miles

Answer: (D)

Map scales and proportional reasoning are at play here. If a quarter inch on the map represents 125 miles, then one inch represents four times that distance: 125 × 4 = 500 miles. For five inches, multiply by 5: 5 × 500 = 2500 miles. Another quick check: five inches is twenty quarter-inches, and each quarter-inch corresponds to 125 miles, so 20 × 125 = 2500 miles. Therefore, five inches represent 2,500 miles.

Map scales and proportional reasoning are at play here. If a quarter inch on the map represents 125 miles, then one inch represents four times that distance: 125 × 4 = 500 miles. For five inches, multiply by 5: 5 × 500 = 2500 miles. Another quick check: five inches is twenty quarter-inches, and each quarter-inch corresponds to 125 miles, so 20 × 125 = 2500 miles. Therefore, five inches represent 2,500 miles.