SF - Scale Factor Module Overview

Math_MS7Banner.pngScale Factor Module Overview

Introduction

image of stick figure familyIn this module, students will learn to represent proportional relationships and scale drawings within real-world contexts. They will learn to translate measurements and distances into maps or scale drawings or find actual measurements and distances from scale drawings. Students will learn to use scale factor to determine area and perimeter of similar figures.

Essential Questions

  • How are distances and measurements translated into a map or scale drawing?
  • How do I determine the appropriate scale for the area (such as my yard or school) that I am measuring and mapping?
  • How can scale factors, ratios, and proportions be used to represent the relationships that exist between similar figures?
  • How can scale factors, ratios, and proportions be used to solve problems related to similar figures?

Key Terms

The following key terms will help you understand the content in this module.

Dilation - A dilation is a transformation that changes the size of an object, but not the shape.

Enlargement - An enlargement is a dilation with a scale factor greater than 1.

Reduction - A reduction is a dilation with a scale factor less than 1 and greater than 0.

Similar Figures - Similar figures are figures that have the same shape but not necessarily the same size.

Scale factor - The scale factor is the factor by which a figure is enlarged or reduced and can be written as the ratio of any two corresponding lengths in two similar geometric figures. Note - The ratio of areas of two similar figures is the square of the scale factor. The ratio of volumes of two similar figures is the cube of the scale factor.

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