at a map scale of 1:1500, 12 centimeters on the map is equivalent to 1.8 kilometers on the ground.
step-by-step
since the scale is 1 to 15,000 you simply multiply it by the 12 cm
12cm × 15,000 = 180,000
but you still have to convert it to kilometers (the measurement on the ground).
to go from centimeters to kilometers move the decimal 5 place values to the left.
final answer
1.8 kilometers