To find the scale factor used to create the travel version of the triangular piece, you can compare the side lengths of the original triangle to the side lengths of the travel version.
The original triangle measures 3 inches on each side, and the travel version measure 0.5 inches on each side.
The scale factor can be calculated using the formula:
\[ \text{Scale Factor} = \frac{\text{Length of the travel version}}{\text{Length of the original version}} \]
Substituting in the values:
\[ \text{Scale Factor} = \frac{0.5 \text{ inches}}{3 \text{ inches}} = \frac{0.5}{3} = \frac{1}{6} \]
Thus, the scale factor used to create the travel version of the piece is \( \frac{1}{6} \).