To completely understand the relationship between the various scales, its possible to use a system called the Circle of Fifths. We will also need the tables of the scales.
The Circle of Fifths is created by writing out the 12 notes: each note is followed by the 5th note of its major scale. Starting with C major, which doesn't contain altered notes, we find the G note (5th note). Analyzing this tone we find an altered note, the F#. The difference between the C major and the G is therefore one note (the F#).
The 5th of the G scale is D, which contains two alterations (F# and C#). The difference between the two keys is C, which becomes C# in the D scale.
In the D scale the fifth is the A, where there are the altered notes of F#, C# and G#.
Next we have the E, B, F# and C# scales. It's easy to see when looking at the series of scales starting from the C, going up a fifth, an alteration is added to those already present. As you can see in the graph, the alterations in key are in increasing order, and must always be respected.
Moving clockwise, the alterations are sharps, while counter clockwise they are flats. The system is the same as before, but is developed for ascending fourths. Lets verify the construction.
Starting with the C major scale, this time we go up to the fourth where we find the F note. Looking at the F major key, we find an altered note, B flat. We can evaluate the difference the C and the F in just one note (the Bb). Therefore the C and F are neighboring keys.
The fourth of the F major scale is Bb. From this note we build the new scale (Bb major which is differentiated from the F scale by the addition of a new note, the Eb). Using this system of fourths, you can see that the fourth of the scale, besides being the key of the new scale, is also the difference between the two scales.
The succession of keys is this: C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb. The C# and Db scales are considered inharmonic, in that they include the same notes even if they have different names; the same is true for F# and Gb.

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Go to the Circle of fifths in the minor scale.