Question

Edgar drew a scale drawing of a restaurant. In real life, a table in the restaurant is 5 feet long. It is 2 inches long 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 determine the scale factor of Edgar's drawing, we need to compare the actual length of the table to its length in the drawing.

1. The real length of the table is 5 feet.
2. The length of the table in the drawing is 2 inches.

First, we need to convert the real length from feet to inches since the drawing is measured in inches. There are 12 inches in a foot:

\[
5 \text{ feet} = 5 \times 12 \text{ inches} = 60 \text{ inches}
\]

Now we have:
- Real length: 60 inches
- Drawing length: 2 inches

Next, we can find the scale factor by forming a ratio of the drawing length to the real length:

\[
\text{Scale factor} = \text{Drawing length : Real length} = 2 \text{ inches} : 60 \text{ inches}
\]

To simplify the ratio, we can divide both sides by 2:

\[
2 : 60 = 1 : 30
\]

Thus, the scale factor of the drawing is:

\[
\boxed{1:30}
\]