A scale factor is a number that represents the ratio between corresponding measurements of an object and a representation of that object. It is used to change the size of a figure without changing its shape. The scale factor can be a whole number, a fraction, or a ratio expressed as a fraction or a colon. In geometry, scale factors are used to scale shapes in different dimensions, such as two-dimensional and three-dimensional figures.
- A scale factor greater than 1 (k > 1) indicates that the figure needs to be enlarged.
- A scale factor less than 1 (k < 1) indicates that the figure needs to be reduced.
- If the scale factor is 1 (k = 1), the figure remains the same size.
The scale factor can be calculated if the dimensions of the original figure and the dimensions of the dilated (increased or decreased) figure are known. For two-dimensional figures, the area changes by a factor of the scale factor, and for three-dimensional figures, the volume changes by a factor of the scale factor.
