You have been given a cross-section with a horizontal scale of 1:50 000 and a vertical scale of 1:30 000. Calculate the vertical exaggeration of this cross-section. Show all your working. Use the formula below to assist you.

Question

𝑉𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑒𝑥𝑎𝑔𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 = 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑒 h𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑒

Answer 1

Vertical exaggeration = vertical scale / horizontal scale
Vertical exaggeration = 1/30,000 / 1/50,000
Vertical exaggeration = 50,000 / 30,000
Vertical exaggeration = 5/3 or 1.67

Therefore, the vertical exaggeration of this cross-section is 1.67.