Question

Sally made a scale drawing of a campsite. The tent, which is 6 feet wide in real life, is 10 inches wide in the drawing. 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 of the drawing, we compare the real-life size of the tent to its size in the drawing.

1. **Real-life width of the tent:** 6 feet
2. **Drawing width of the tent:** 10 inches

First, we need to convert the real-life width of the tent from feet to inches. Since 1 foot is equal to 12 inches:

\[
6 \text{ feet} = 6 \times 12 = 72 \text{ inches}
\]

Now we have:
- Real-life width in inches: 72 inches
- Drawing width: 10 inches

Next, we can find the scale factor by setting up the ratio of the drawing width to the real-life width:

\[
\text{Scale factor} = \frac{\text{Drawing width}}{\text{Real-life width}} = \frac{10 \text{ inches}}{72 \text{ inches}}
\]

Next, we simplify this fraction:

\[
\frac{10}{72} = \frac{5}{36}
\]

Now, we express the scale factor as a ratio using a colon:

\[
5:36
\]

Therefore, the scale factor used in the drawing is:

\[
\boxed{5:36}
\]