ENLARGEMENT AND SCALE DRAWING

he Sometimes drawing an object to its actual size is not practical or possible. When
If architects design buildings, for example, they do not produce a life-size drawing
of the building. A scale drawing is produced instead. In a scale drawing, all the
lengths are changed by the same scale factor.
The scale is shown using a ratio. For example, a scale of 1 :50 means that
1 unit of length on the diagram represents a length which is 50 times bigger on
the actual object. Therefore 1 cm on the diagram represents 50 cm in real life.

to a scale of 1: 25. A line on the diagram has length

20 cm. actual length does it represent?
1 :25 means that the actual lengths are 25 times bigger than those drawn.
20 x 25 = 500
So 20 cm on the diagram represents 500 cm (5 m) in real life.

b) This sketch shows the dimensions of a room.

I I
gm
Draw a scale diagram of the room with a
scale of 1 : 150.
1 :150 means that the lengths on the diagram . 6m
must be 150 times smaller than those of the 11.-.. ~~-==-=-==--~~==--=:lI"

actual room. We need to divide by 150.

9 m = 900 cm so the diagram length is '900 cm -+ 150 = 6 cm.
6 m = 600 cm so the diagram length is 600 cm -+ 150 = 4 cm.
The scale drawing is as shown. ./'/'\~ryr-yr-~

It IS easier to convert )
6cm
the dimensions to
centimetres first.

4cm'

c) A circular arena is being built. On a scale drawing, the radius of the arena is
8 em. The radius of the actual arena is 120 m. Calculate the scale of the drawing.
To calculate the scale factor of enlargement from the diagram to the
actual arena, both lengths must be in the same units.
On the diagram, radius = 8 em.
In real life, radius = 120 m = 12 000 cm.
Scale factor of enlargement = 12000 + 8 = 1500
Therefore the scale of the drawing is 1 : 1500.
CHAPTER 24

d) A landscape artist makes a scale drawing of a public garden. The scale used
is 1 em represents 10m.
(i) The width of the garden on the scale drawing is 18.2 em. Calculate its
real width.
(ii) The length of the actual garden is 425 m. Calculate its length on the
scale drawing.
(i) 1em represents 10m, so 18.2cm represents 18.2 x 10 = 182m.
The real width is 182m.
(ii) 10 m is represented by 1em, so 425 m is represented by 425 -;-10 = 42.5 em.
The length on the drawing is 42.5 em.

11 Calculate the actual length (in metres) represented by each of these lengths
I on a scale drawing. The scale of each diagram is given in brackets.
' a) 10cm (1:50)
I b) 35 cm (1 :30)
c) 40mm (1: 100)
d) 160 mm (1 : 150)
e) 70 cm (2 : 75)
12 Calculate the length (in centimetres) that represents each of these actual
I lengths on a scale drawing. The scale of each diagram is given in brackets.
a) 60m (1: 150)

I b) 120m
c) 380 cm
(1: 2000)
(1: 25)
I d) 4km (1 :5000)
I
I

e) 15 m (2 : 75)

3 In each of these pairs of lengths, the first is the length on a scale drawing
!
i

and the second is the corresponding length in real life. Calculate the scale
in each case.
a) 20cm 1200cm
b) 25cm 100m
c) Scm 75m
d) 6cm 0.3km
e) 12mm 600m