7 Rate, Ratio and Proportion

7.3B Scale Drawings

Name: _________________________ Class: ___________

Objective: Learn the concept of a scale and solve problems involving scale drawings.

Key Points
A scale drawing is a reduced or an enlarged drawing of a real object according to a specific ratio (called scale).
length on the scale drawing
scale =
actual length
A scale is usually expressed in the form 1 : n (reduced) or n : 1 (enlarged), where n > 1.

1. In a photo, the height of a cat is 4 cm. If the actual height of the cat is 24 cm, find the scale of
the photo in the form 1: n.
Solution

2. The length of a beetle on a scale drawing is 28 mm and its actual length is 7 mm. Find the
scale of the drawing in the form n : 1.
Solution

3. The length of the body of a bee on a scale drawing is 7 cm and its actual length is 14 mm. Find
the scale of the drawing in the form n : 1. ~ Example 7.16
Solution

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 7 Rate, Ratio and Proportion

4. On a map, the length of a road is 5 cm. If its actual length is 10 km, find the scale of the map
in the form 1: n.
Solution

1 km = 1000 m
1 m = 100 cm
Then, 1 km = ? cm

5. Complete the following table.

Scale Length on the scale drawing Actual length
(a) 1 : 12 3 cm ( ) cm
(b) 1 : 350 2 cm ( )m
(c) 7 :1 ( ) cm 8 cm
(d) 600 : 1 ( )m 5 cm

6. The figure shows a photo of a scissor with a scale 1 : 3.

If the length of the scissor in the photo is 5 cm, find
its actual length.
Solution

7. The figure shows a photo of a tree with a scale 1 : 400. If the

height of the tree in the photo is 3.5 cm, find its actual height in m.
Solution

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 7 Rate, Ratio and Proportion

8. The figure shows a scale drawing of a bean with a scale 4 : 1.

If the length of the bean in the drawing is 2 cm, find the actual
length of the bean in cm.
Solution

9. The figure shows a scale drawing of an ant with a scale 15 : 1.

If the length of the body of the ant in the drawing is 2.7 cm,
find the actual length of the body of the ant in mm.
Solution
1 cm = 10 mm

10. The scale of a map is 1 : 250 000. ~ Example 7.17

(a) If a river is 3.4 cm long on the map, find the actual length of the river in km.
(b) If a road is 50 km long, find the length of the road on the map in cm.
Solution
(a) (b)

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