縮尺 and 倍率: map scale and image magnification
Use 縮尺 to relate map distance to real distance and 倍率 to read image magnification. A change in displayed size does not itself mean the real object has grown.
縮尺 relates map and real distances
縮尺, read しゅくしゃく, means scale. 地図の縮尺を見て実際の距離を計算した。 says that someone looked at the map’s scale and calculated the real distance.
At a scale of 1 to 100, a 2-centimeter map length corresponds to 200 centimeters, or 2 meters, in reality. Compare lengths in the same unit before converting units if needed.
倍率 enlarges the view
倍率, read ばいりつ, means magnification in this context. 顕微鏡の倍率を上げて細胞を観察した。 says that someone increased the microscope’s magnification and observed the cells.
The sentence describes changing the viewing setting so that the cells appear larger. Increasing microscope magnification does not establish that the actual cells grew.
Keep the representation related to its object
この模型は建物を同じ縮尺で再現している。 says that this model reproduces the building at the same scale. Here, scale describes the relation between the model’s lengths and those of the building.
For maps and models, check the relation between real and represented lengths. For an enlarged image, distinguish the visible size from the object’s own size so that calculations and explanations keep the same subject.
If cells look larger after the microscope’s 倍率 is increased, does the sentence say the real cells grew?
Show the answer and why
No. Higher magnification can make them appear larger in the view. The sentence does not state whether the actual cells grew.