Scale Factor Practice

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 the original.

Front

If a map has a scale of 1 inch = 42 miles, how far apart are two cities that are 5 inches apart on the map?

Back

210 miles (5 inches x 42 miles/inch = 210 miles).

Front

What does a scale factor greater than 1 indicate?

Back

It indicates an enlargement of the figure.

Front

What does a scale factor less than 1 indicate?

Back

It indicates a reduction of the figure.

Front

If a triangle has a scale factor of 1/2, what happens to its size?

Back

The triangle is reduced to half its original size.

Front

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

Back

Divide the length of a side of the new figure by the length of the corresponding side of the original figure.

Front

What is the scale factor if a drawing measures 8 units and the original measures 4 units?

Back

The scale factor is 2:1.

Front

If a scale drawing is 1:100, what does this mean?

Back

It means that 1 unit on the drawing represents 100 units in reality.

Front

What is the scale factor of a figure that is enlarged from 3 cm to 9 cm?

Back

The scale factor is 3 (9 cm / 3 cm = 3).

Front

If a rectangle is scaled down from 10 cm to 5 cm, what is the scale factor?

Back

The scale factor is 1/2 (5 cm / 10 cm = 1/2).