Scale (ratio)
The measure is referred to in the art, photography and cartography, the ratio between the depicted size (eg length) and the appropriate size in reality.
Magnifications
In some areas ( engineering, electronics, macro photography ) not only reductions but also magnifications by specifying a scale to be defined. Here, for example, means a scale of 2:1, that the design drawing or macro photo two times as great as the reality.
Scale fidelity and scale factor
Scale litter or scale is a picture or a model if in the representation of any route to the corresponding length in the original gives the same ratio. The tolerance in graphics here corresponds to the usual character accuracy of 0.2 mm. Not to scale, for example, a photo or a sketch. Scale referred to in the technical jargon usually a less accurate representation than one that is " to scale ".
In geodesy treating minor differences in the scale of measurement networks or earth models often in the form of a mathematical scale factor ( usually referred to as μ ). Since he is always very close to the value 1, it is often = 1 m recognized as μ and the very small value denotes m as a benchmark correction.
Cartography
Architecture
In architecture, plans are used in a scale range of 1:10 ( details) to 1:1000 ( overviews, exterior plans, site plans ). Many details, but also drawn at a scale of 1:1 to 1:5, or in extremely rare cases even increased compared to reality.
In technical drawings are ISO 5455 proposals for reductions and enlargements.