On a map, if 1/4 inch represents 125 miles, how many miles does 5 inches represent?

• A. 100 mi.
• B. 5,000 mi
• C. 1,000 mi
• D. 2,500 mi

Answer: (D)

When a map gives a distance, the key idea is to translate the map units into real-world units using the scale. Here, 1/4 inch on the map equals 125 miles in reality. That means each inch on the map represents four times as many miles as a quarter inch, because one inch is four quarters.

So 1 inch corresponds to 125 × 4 = 500 miles. If the map shows 5 inches, multiply by 5: 5 × 500 = 2,500 miles.

The correct distance is 2,500 miles. This comes from consistently converting the map’s inch measurement to miles before scaling up. (Common mistakes come from multiplying by 125 without converting the 1/4 inch to 1 inch.)