Scale or scales may refer to:

Mathematics

* Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points *

Scale (ratio) The scale ratio of a model represents the proportional ratio of a linear dimension of the model to the same feature of the original. Examples include a 3-dimensional scale model of a building or the scale drawings of the elevations or plans of a ...

, the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original * Scale factor, a number which scales, or multiplies, some quantity * Long and short scales, how powers of ten are named and grouped in large numbers * Scale parameter, a description of the spread or dispersion of a probability distribution * Feature scaling, a method used to normalize the range of independent variables or features of data * Scale (analytical tool)

Measurements

Scale (map) The scale of a map is the ratio of a distance on the map to the corresponding distance on the ground. This simple concept is complicated by the curvature of the Earth's surface, which forces scale to vary across a map. Because of this variation, ...

, the ratio of the distance on a map to the corresponding actual distance *

Weighing scale A scale or balance is a device used to measure weight or mass. These are also known as mass scales, weight scales, mass balances, and weight balances. The traditional scale consists of two plates or bowls suspended at equal distances from a ...

, an instrument used to measure mass *

, the ratio of the linear dimension of the model to the same dimension of the original *

Spatial scale Spatial scale is a specific application of the term scale for describing or categorizing (e.g. into orders of magnitude) the size of a space (hence ''spatial''), or the extent of it at which a phenomenon or process occurs. For instance, in phy ...

, a classification of sizes *

Scale ruler Scale or scales may refer to: Mathematics * Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points * Scale (ratio), the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original * Scale factor, a number w ...

, a tool for measuring lengths and transferring measurements at a fixed ratio of length * Vernier scale, the scale on calipers

Music

Scale (music) In music theory, a scale is any set of musical notes ordered by fundamental frequency or pitch. A scale ordered by increasing pitch is an ascending scale, and a scale ordered by decreasing pitch is a descending scale. Often, especially in the ...

, a sequence of ordered musical notes * Scale (string instruments), the sounding length of the strings of an instrument * ''Scale'' (album), a 2006 album by electronic artist Matthew Herbert * "The Scale", a song from '' Our Love to Admire'' by Interpol * Musicians scale, the pay scale set by unions of musicians

Science

Biology

Scale (anatomy) In most biological nomenclature, a scale ( grc, λεπίς, lepís; la, squāma) is a small rigid plate that grows out of an animal's skin to provide protection. In lepidopteran (butterfly and moth) species, scales are plates on the surface ...

, a rigid plate which grows out of the skin of various animals *

Scale (dermatology) A skin condition, also known as cutaneous condition, is any medical condition that affects the integumentary system—the organ system that encloses the body and includes skin, nails, and related muscle and glands. The major function of this ...

, a secondary skin lesion in humans that resembles animal scales * Scale (insect anatomy), a feature of the wings of moths and butterflies * Scale, a type of

trichome Trichomes (); ) are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists. They are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae. A covering of any kind of hair on a pla ...

, any flat epidermal outgrowth in botany *

Bulb In botany, a bulb is structurally a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf basesBell, A.D. 1997. ''Plant form: an illustrated guide to flowering plant morphology''. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K. that function as food storage organs duri ...

scale, the storage layers of a plant bulb *

Scale insect Scale insects are small insects of the order Hemiptera, suborder Sternorrhyncha. Of dramatically variable appearance and extreme sexual dimorphism, they comprise the infraorder Coccomorpha which is considered a more convenient grouping than the ...

, a waxy coated animal that resembles a fish scale

Chemistry and materials science

Fouling Fouling is the accumulation of unwanted material on solid surfaces. The fouling materials can consist of either living organisms (biofouling) or a non-living substance (inorganic or organic). Fouling is usually distinguished from other surf ...

, sometimes called , a buildup of unwanted substances on a submerged surface * Limescale, a hard, chalky deposit that often builds up inside kettles, hot water boilers, and pipework * Mill scale, the flaky surface on hot rolled steel, consisting of iron oxides * Scale (chemistry), the range of mass or volume of a chemical reaction or process

Other sciences

* Scale (analytical tool), a concept in the study of complex systems and hierarchy theory *

Scale (social sciences) In the social sciences, scaling is the process of measuring or ordering entities with respect to quantitative attributes or traits. For example, a scaling technique might involve estimating individuals' levels of extraversion, or the perceived qual ...

, a tool for ordering entities by quantitative attributes

Places

Scales, California Scales is an unincorporated community in Sierra County, California, in the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North ...

, a community in the United States * Scales, Lancashire, part of the village of Newton-with-Scales * Scales, near Kirkoswald, Cumbria, a hamlet *

Scales, South Lakeland Scales is a small village in south Cumbria, England, around 3.5 miles south of the town of Ulverston. The name Scales comes from the Old Norse ''skali'', with an Old English plural ''*Scalas'', meaning ''huts''. The village has a long history ...

, Cumbria, England, a village * ''The Scales'', the initial climb of the Chilkoot Pass

Other uses

Scales (surname) The surname Scales has more than one possible origin. In some cases, the surname may originate from a name for someone who lived near huts or sheds. In such cases, the surname is derived from the Middle English ''scale'', ''schole'', ''scole'', m ...

* ''Scales'' (film), a 2019 Saudi Arabian film * Baron Scales, a title in the Peerage of England *

Libra (constellation) Libra is a constellation of the zodiac and is located in the Southern celestial hemisphere. Its name is Latin for weighing scales. Its old astronomical symbol is (♎︎). It is fairly faint, with no first magnitude stars, and lies between Vi ...

, also known as "the scales", or the namesake astrological sign * '' Mizan'' (''Scale'' in English), a treatise on Islam by Javed Ahmed Ghamidi * Pay scale, a system or structure of compensation for work * Scale armour, an early form of armor *

Southern California Linux Expo The Southern California Linux Expo (SCALE) is an annual Linux, open source and free software conference held in Los Angeles, California, since 2002. Despite having Linux in its name, SCALE covers all open source operating systems and software. It i ...

, an open-source software conference held in Los Angeles, California