A scale factor of 2 is used to enlarge a figure as shown below.

A rectangle with an area of 18 inches squared.

How many square inches is the area of the enlarged figure?
27
36
54
72

1 answer

When a figure is enlarged using a scale factor, the area of the enlarged figure is affected by the square of the scale factor.

If the original area is \( A \) and the scale factor is \( k \), the area of the enlarged figure will be:

\[ \text{New Area} = A \times k^2 \]

In this case:

  • The original area \( A = 18 \) square inches
  • The scale factor \( k = 2 \)

Now, calculate the new area:

\[ \text{New Area} = 18 \times 2^2 = 18 \times 4 = 72 \]

Thus, the area of the enlarged figure is 72 square inches.