Scale Factor Definition, Examples & Practice Problems

how to find scalefactor

Prepare your KS4 students for maths GCSEs success with Third Space Learning. Weekly online one to one GCSE maths revision lessons delivered by expert maths tutors. We need to divide the enlarged length by the original length. The lengths of the sides of the second shape are half the lengths of the original shape. The lengths of the sides of the second shape are double the lengths of the original shape.

How to use a scale factor

  • Scaling up requires a scale factor greater than `1` while scaling down needs a scale factor smaller than `1`.
  • On the grid, draw an enlargement of the rectangle with scale factor 2 .
  • The scale factor formula helps us understand how bigger or smaller a shape becomes when we change its size.
  • These steps help determine how much larger or smaller one figure is compared to the other.

A scale factor describes how much a shape has been enlarged. To find the radius of the scaled cone, we multiply the radius of the original cone with the scale factor. Scale factors play a vital role in building scale models of real-world designs. They enable architects, engineers, and designers bookkeeping to accurately represent and visualize structures before they are constructed. Scale factors are crucial in creating maps and scale diagrams. They help represent large objects proportionally on paper, such as maps of cities or floor layouts in house designs.

Scale factor worksheet

how to find scalefactor

The scale factor tells us what to multiply scalefactor each side length of a geometric figure by to produce a scaled, similar figure. Scale factor is essential as it is used to measure similar figures that appear similar but have different measures. This helps us in getting accurate measurements of shapes that look the same. If we have to find the enlarged triangle similar to the smaller triangle, we need to multiply the side-lengths of the smaller triangle by the scale factor. Now as per the given question, we need to increase the size of the given triangle by scale factor of 4. If the scale factor greater 1, the shape undergoes enlargement.

Scale Factor Symbol

  • In geometry, dilation involves resizing a figure from a specific center point without altering its shape.
  • Think of it as a proportionality constant – it tells us how the size of one thing relates to another.
  • The enlargement will be a rectangle with base 4 and height 2 .
  • Given the scale factor of 1 inch to 5 miles, we can set up a proportion to find the distance on the map.
  • The left vertical side of the first shape is 2 , so the corresponding side of the enlarged shape will be 1 .
  • One triangle is a resized version of the other, with their respective sides being proportional.
  • It’s like a measuring tape for shapes, helping us create enlarged or reduced versions accurately.

The height of the original shape is 1 , so the height of the enlarged shape will be 2 . The left vertical side of the first shape is 2 , so the corresponding side of the enlarged shape will be 1 . The base in the original shape is 4 , so the base in the enlarged shape will be 2 . The left vertical side of the first shape is 3 , so the corresponding side of the enlarged shape will be 9 . The base in the original shape is 2 , so the base in the enlarged shape will be https://www.bookstime.com/articles/tax-filings 6 .

how to find scalefactor

Solved Scale Factor Examples

how to find scalefactor

The base in the original shape is 4, so the base of the new shape will be 2.

how to find scalefactor

how to find scalefactor

Conversely, you can use the side lengths of two similar figures to calculate the scale factor. These problems involve multiplication or require you to simplify fractions. Dilation geometry has an important concept called the “center of expansion”. Dilation transforms the size of the figure which may increase or decrease.

Leave a Reply