Cambridge Lower Secondary Mathematics Stage 7| Hoaii

UNIT 14 – POSITION AND TRANSFORMATION

14.1 – SCALE DRAWING

1. What is a scale drawing?

- A scale drawing is an enlargement of an object
- Enlargement changes the size of an object by multiplying each of the lengths by a scale
factor to make it larger or smaller
- The scale of a drawing is usually stated as a ratio
- For example: 1cm : 5m
 This is said as “ 1 centimetres to 5 metres” and means every 1 centimetres on
the diagram represents 5 metres in real life
- In order to interpret and produce scale drawings we need to know the scale factor and
the actual lengths of the object
2. How to calculate the actual/ real life distance from a scale?
- Step 1: State the scale of the enlargement as a ratio in the form 1 : n
- Step 2: Multiply n by the length given from the scale drawing
- Step 3: Write the units
 For example: Plan of a building
A plan of a block of flats has the scale 2.5cm : 800m. What is the real distance
represented by 5.7cm on the plan?
 Step 1: Convert 2.5cm : 800m to 1cm : 320m
 Step 2: 5.7 x 320 = 1824
 Step 3: 1824m