On a map, the scale is 1 inch represents 25 miles. If two cities are 3.5 inches apart on the map, what is the actual distance between the…

The scale says 1 inch on the map equals 25 miles on the ground, so multiply the map distance by 25: $3.5 \times 25 = 87.5$ miles. Break it down if helpful: 3 inches is 75 miles and 0.5 inch is 12.5 miles, totaling 87.5. A common wrong answer is $\frac{3.5}{25} = 0.14$, which comes from dividing instead of multiplying, which confuses the direction of the conversion. Another is 28.5, from adding $3.5 + 25$. A third is 75, from ignoring the decimal part of 3.5. Scale problems multiply the map measurement by the scale factor.