1. What is the Scale Factor?

The scale factor is the ratio of the new dimension to the original dimension. It represents how much an object has been scaled up or down in size.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the scale factor formula:

Where:

• New Dimension — The measurement after scaling
• Old Dimension — The original measurement before scaling

Explanation: A scale factor greater than 1 indicates enlargement, while a value between 0 and 1 indicates reduction.

3. Importance of Scale Factor

Details: Scale factors are crucial in architecture, engineering, model making, and computer graphics to maintain proportional relationships when resizing objects.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both new and old dimensions in the same units. Both values must be positive numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What does a scale factor of 2 mean?
A: A scale factor of 2 means the new object is twice as large in all dimensions as the original.

Q2: What does a scale factor of 0.5 mean?
A: A scale factor of 0.5 means the new object is half the size of the original in all dimensions.

Q3: Can scale factor be negative?
A: In practical applications, scale factors are typically positive. Negative values would indicate reflection in addition to scaling.

Q4: How is scale factor different from ratio?
A: Scale factor is a specific type of ratio that compares corresponding dimensions of similar figures or objects.

Q5: How is scale factor used in maps?
A: In maps, the scale factor represents the ratio of distance on the map to the corresponding distance in reality.