Scale Factor

Front

What is a scale factor?

Back

A scale factor is a number that scales, or multiplies, some quantity. It is used to determine the ratio of the dimensions of a scale drawing to the actual dimensions.

Front

If the scale is 1cm = 8miles, how do you find the actual distance between two points on a map?

Back

Multiply the distance on the map (in cm) by the scale factor (8 miles per cm) to find the actual distance.

Front

What is the actual distance if two cities are 24cm apart on a map with a scale of 1cm = 8miles?

Back

192 miles (24cm x 8 miles/cm = 192 miles).

Front

How do you calculate the scale factor between two similar figures?

Back

Divide the length of a side of the larger figure by the corresponding side of the smaller figure.

Front

If a rectangle has a length of 20cm and a width of 10cm, what is the scale factor if the corresponding rectangle is 5cm and 2.5cm?

Back

The scale factor is 4 (20cm/5cm = 4 and 10cm/2.5cm = 4).

Front

What is the scale factor if a model is 1/3 the size of the actual object?

Back

The scale factor is 1/3.

Front

If a drawing of a house is 3 times larger than the actual house, what is the scale factor?

Back

The scale factor is 3.

Front

What is the missing side length if the scale factor is 4 and the corresponding side is 5?

Back

The missing side length is 20 (5 x 4 = 20).

Front

If two rectangles are scale drawings and one has a width of 4cm and the other has a width of 16cm, what is the scale factor?

Back

The scale factor is 4 (16cm/4cm = 4).

Front

What is the actual distance if the scale is 1cm = 5m and two points are 10cm apart on the map?

Back

The actual distance is 50m (10cm x 5m/cm = 50m).