Scale factor

{
  "id": "MLC-T-MET-008675",
  "term": "Scale factor",
  "field": "Meteorology and atmospheric science",
  "definition": "A multiplicative constant used to convert values from one unit or system to another, or to adjust the size of a representation relative to its actual size. In mapping and atmospheric modeling, it relates distances on a map or grid to actual distances on the Earth's surface. For example, a scale factor of 1:100,000 means one unit on the map represents 100,000 units in reality.",
  "synonyms": [
    "map scale",
    "map factor"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "conformal map"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/meteorology/scale-factor/"
}