Alright, if the original scale was 1 inch = 8 miles, and Dale's house to his school are 1 1/2 inches apart, let's find the amount of miles.
Here's a fast way. 1 inch is 8 miles, and half of 8 equals 4 miles, which is 1/2 of an inch., 8 + 4 = 12 miles.
So if his house and the school were 12 miles apart, and we we're using the 1 inch. = 6 miles scale, then it'd be 2 inches on the map.
How?
If 1 inch. = 6 miles
x inches = 12 miles
12/6 = 2
2 inches = x