Scale Factor Review

Front

What is a scale factor?

Back

A scale factor is a number that scales, or multiplies, some quantity. It is used to determine how much larger or smaller a figure is compared to another figure.

Front

If a figure is enlarged by a scale factor of 3, what happens to its dimensions?

Back

Each dimension of the figure is multiplied by 3, making the figure three times larger in each direction.

Front

How do you determine if two figures are similar?

Back

Two figures are similar if their corresponding angles are equal and the ratios of their corresponding sides are equal.

Front

What is the scale factor if the original length is 5 and the new length is 15?

Back

The scale factor is 3, because 15 divided by 5 equals 3.

Front

If a triangle has sides of lengths 3, 4, and 5, and is scaled by a factor of 2, what are the new side lengths?

Back

The new side lengths are 6, 8, and 10.

Front

What does it mean for two figures to be 'not similar'?

Back

It means that either their corresponding angles are not equal or the ratios of their corresponding sides are not equal.

Front

If a rectangle has a width of 4 inches and a length of 8 inches, what is the scale factor if it is resized to a width of 2 inches?

Back

The scale factor is 0.5, because 2 divided by 4 equals 0.5.

Front

What is the relationship between the scale factor and area?

Back

The area of similar figures is proportional to the square of the scale factor.

Front

If a shape is reduced by a scale factor of 0.5, what happens to its size?

Back

The shape becomes half the size of the original in each dimension.

Front

How do you find the missing side of similar figures?

Back

Set up a proportion using the known sides of the similar figures and solve for the missing side.