Representative factor (RF)

Representative Factor (RF) is a value used in cartography and surveying to describe the relationship between the actual size of an object and its representation on a map or plan. It is defined as the ratio of the scale of a map to the actual size of the object being depicted. For example, if a map has a scale of 1:100,000, the RF would be 100,000. The RF can be used to convert measurements taken from a map to their equivalent in the real world.