Definition

A multiplier for reducing a distance obtained from a MAP by computation or scaling to the actual distance on the DATUM of the MAP. A conventional modification which may be applied to the majority of map PROJECTIONS. This is the multipli­cation of the PRINCIPAL SCALE by some numerical con­stant which is slightly less than unity. This has the effect of changing all PARTICULAR SCALES by a corre­sponding amount and, since both maximum and minimum PAR­TICULAR SCALES are similarly modified, the special properties of the PROJECTION are unaffected. The effect is to produce a better balance of positive and negative SCALE ERRORS over the mapped area.