Maps and Square Feet

Date: 05/24/99 at 02:10:54
From: David Allsbrooks
Subject: Converting square feet on maps

On a scale of 1 inch = 50 feet, what is the area of a location that is 
10000 square feet?

Date: 05/24/99 at 07:49:03
From: Doctor Jerry
Subject: Re: Converting square feet on maps

Hi David,

Thanks for your question.  If I understand what you want, you can 
think of it this way:

10000 square feet is a square 100 feet on a side (100*100 = 10000); so 
on a map on which 1 inch is 50 feet, the square would be 2 inches on a 
side. Hence, the map square would have an area of 4 square inches.

So, if you are given A square feet, the the area on the map would be

(sqrt(A)/50)^2 = A/2500 square inches.

- Doctor Jerry, The Math Forum
  http://mathforum.org/dr.math/