Percy measured the town library and made a scale drawing. He used the scale 8 centimeters = 1 meter. What scale factor does the drawing use?

Question

Simplify your answer and write it as a ratio, using a colon.

Answer 1

To find the scale factor for the drawing, we can compare the measurement in the drawing to the actual measurement.

The scale is given as 8 centimeters = 1 meter. To find the scale factor:

1. Convert the actual measurement (1 meter) into centimeters, since the drawing is in centimeters.

   • 1 meter = 100 centimeters.

2. The scale ratio can now be expressed as:

   • Drawing measurement : Actual measurement = 8 cm : 100 cm.

3. To express this as a simplified ratio, we can divide both numbers by the greatest common divisor, which is 4:

   • \( \frac{8}{4} : \frac{100}{4} = 2 : 25 \).

Thus, the scale factor used in the drawing is \( 2 : 25 \).