To solve the problem:

Problem Breakdown:

The map has a scale of 1:50,000, meaning 1 cm on the map corresponds to 50,000 cm in real life.
The given length of the road on the map is 8.5 cm.

Conversion Steps:

1. Convert the map length into real-world length: $\text{Real length in cm} = 8.5 \times 50,000 = 425,000 \, \text{cm}.$

2. Convert the real-world length from centimeters to kilometers: $1 \, \text{km} = 100,000 \, \text{cm}.$ Therefore: $\text{Real length in km} = \frac{425,000}{100,000} = 4.25 \, \text{km}.$

Final Answer:

The real length of the road is 4.25 kilometers.

Let me know if you’d like a detailed explanation of the steps or assistance with another question!

Follow-up Questions to Enhance Understanding:

1. What would the real length be if the road on the map measured 10 cm?
2. How does changing the scale to 1:100,000 affect the real-world calculation?
3. How do we convert real lengths to map lengths given a specific scale?
4. What units are most convenient for large-scale conversions, and why?
5. How can map scales be used to calculate areas in real-world dimensions?

Tip: Always double-check the scale units (e.g., cm, km