Question

Whitney made a scale drawing of a swimming pool. She used the scale 8 centimeters = 2 meters. What scale factor does the drawing use?

Simplify your answer and write it as a ratio, using a colon.

Answer 1

To find the scale factor, we need to compare the drawing measurement to the actual measurement.

Whitney's scale is 8 centimeters = 2 meters.

First, we convert the meters to centimeters since 1 meter = 100 centimeters. Therefore, 2 meters = 200 centimeters.

Now we can write the comparison:
- Drawing: 8 centimeters
- Actual: 200 centimeters

To find the scale factor, we set up the ratio of the drawing measurement to the actual measurement:

\[
\text{Scale factor} = \frac{\text{Drawing}}{\text{Actual}} = \frac{8 \text{ cm}}{200 \text{ cm}}
\]

Now, simplify this fraction:

\[
\frac{8}{200} = \frac{1}{25}
\]

Thus, the scale factor can be written as a ratio:

\[
1 : 25
\]

So, the scale factor used in the drawing is **1:25**.