The length of part of a model plane is $0.75$ inches and the length of the part on the plane is $2$ feet. What is the scale factor?

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Answer 1 · 2017-01-26T20:51:32

$SF = 1/32$

The scale factor is the ratio between the image (or model) and the original shape.

Firstly the units must be the same. In this case I will assume that the model is smaller than the original.

$0.75$ inch : $2$ feet $" "larr$ 1 foot = 12 inches

$0.75$ inch : $24$ inches $" "larr$ drop the units

$0.75 : 24" "larr$ get rid of the decimal by x 100

$75 : 2400" "larr$ change to simplest form $div 25$

$3 : 96" "div 3$

$1 :32$

$SF = 1/32$

This is quite a common scale for model aeroplanes and tanks.
The real life size is 32 times bigger than the model.

The length of part of a model plane is 0.750.75 inches and the length of the part on the plane is 22 feet. What is the scale factor?