To find the area of the triangular sail, we will first calculate the area of the triangle in George's 1/25 scale drawing, and then determine the area of the actual sail.
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Calculate the area of the triangle in the drawing: The formula for the area \( A \) of a triangle is given by: \[ A = \frac{1}{2} \times \text{base} \times \text{height} \] In the drawing, the base is 1 foot and the height is 2 feet. Plugging in these values: \[ A = \frac{1}{2} \times 1 , \text{foot} \times 2 , \text{feet} = \frac{1}{2} \times 2 = 1 , \text{square foot} \]
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Adjust for the scale: Since George's drawing is a 1/25 scale, the actual dimensions of the sail are 25 times larger than the dimensions in the drawing.
- The base of the actual sail is: \[ \text{Actual base} = 1 , \text{foot} \times 25 = 25 , \text{feet} \]
- The height of the actual sail is: \[ \text{Actual height} = 2 , \text{feet} \times 25 = 50 , \text{feet} \]
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Now, calculate the area of the actual sail: Using the area formula again for the actual sail: \[ A_{\text{actual}} = \frac{1}{2} \times \text{actual base} \times \text{actual height} \] Substituting in the actual dimensions: \[ A_{\text{actual}} = \frac{1}{2} \times 25 , \text{feet} \times 50 , \text{feet} \] \[ A_{\text{actual}} = \frac{1}{2} \times 1250 = 625 , \text{square feet} \]
Therefore, the area of the actual triangular sail is \( \boxed{625} \) square feet.