A model car is built at a scale of 1:20. If the actual car is 12 feet long, how long is the model?

1 answer

To find the length of the model car, we can use the scale ratio where 1 unit in the model represents 20 units in the actual car. The actual car is 12 feet long.

We can set up the equation as follows:

\[ \text{Model Length} = \frac{\text{Actual Length}}{\text{Scale Factor}} \]

In this case, the scale factor is 20, and the actual length is 12 feet:

\[ \text{Model Length} = \frac{12 \text{ feet}}{20} \]

Calculating this gives:

\[ \text{Model Length} = \frac{12}{20} = 0.6 \text{ feet} \]

To convert this into inches (since 1 foot = 12 inches):

\[ 0.6 \text{ feet} \times 12 \text{ inches/foot} = 7.2 \text{ inches} \]

Thus, the length of the model car is \( 0.6 \) feet or \( 7.2 \) inches.