Four-figure & six-figure grid references

Maps are covered by a numbered grid. The vertical lines are eastings (numbered west to east) and the horizontal lines are northings (numbered south to north). Always read eastings first, then northings — "along the corridor, then up the stairs".

• Four-figure reference names a whole grid square: read the easting on its left side, then the northing on its bottom side (e.g. 4665).
• Six-figure reference names a point: imagine each square split into tenths, then add the extra tenth to each pair (e.g. 463654).

Worked example: 463654

To find the point 463654:

Which do you read first?

The 16-point compass & bearings

Direction can be given with the compass or as a bearing:

• The 16-point compass adds points between the main ones: N, NNE, NE, ENE, E, ESE, SE, SSE, S, and so on.
• A bearing is an angle measured clockwise from grid north, from 0° to 360°, using a protractor. Due east = 090°, south = 180°, west = 270°.

Match each direction to its bearing

Tap a compass direction on the left, then its matching bearing on the right.

Scale & the representative fraction

Scale tells you how map distance relates to real distance. A representative fraction (RF) like 1:50 000 means 1 unit on the map equals 50 000 of the same units on the ground.

• On a 1:50 000 map, 1 cm = 500 m = 0.5 km.
• On a 1:25 000 map, 1 cm = 250 m = 0.25 km.

Measure a distance in cm (using the scale line for bends), then convert with the RF.

Your turn — convert map distance

Contours & cross-sections

Contours are lines joining points of equal height. Their spacing shows the shape of the land (relief):

• Contours close together = a steep slope.
• Contours far apart = a gentle slope.
• Contours in a tight ring = a hill or summit.

A cross-section is a side-on slice of the land drawn by plotting each contour's height along a line.

Steep or gentle?

Reading patterns on a map

Examiners ask you to describe patterns of relief, drainage and settlement:

• Settlement: dispersed (scattered), nucleated (clustered) or linear (in a line along a route).
• Drainage: the pattern of rivers — do they join a main river, run parallel, or spread out?
• Communications: where roads and railways run, and what they connect.

Which settlement pattern?

Tap a description, then tap the pattern it matches.

Choosing & reading graphs

Different data suits different graphs:

• Line graph — change over time (e.g. temperature).
• Bar graph — compare separate categories; pie chart — proportions of a whole.
• Scatter graph — relationship between two variables, with a best-fit line showing positive or negative correlation.
• Choropleth map — shaded areas by value; isoline map — lines joining equal values.
• Population pyramid, kite and triangular graphs for specialist data.

Which graph for a relationship?

Your turn — mean of a data set

Your turn — a percentage from data

What does 1:25 000 mean?

The big ideas to know

You've covered the core of Cambridge Paper 2 — Geographical Skills. Press Finish to see your score.