Question

2. You have a painting that is 30 in. wide and 22.5 in. tall. You would like to reproduce it on a sheet of paper that measures 8 1/2 in. by 11 in., leaving at least a 1­in. margin on all four sides. a) What scale should you use if you keep the sheet of paper in the normal upright orientation? Assume that the reproduction will be as large as possible. b) What scale should you use if you turn the paper on its side?

Answer 1

a) The scale factor is 5

b) The scale factor is 4

Explanation:

a) Measurement of the sheet is 8 1/2 in. by 11 in.

If we leave 1 in. margin on all 4 sides, then the picture will fit in the area of

6 1/2 in. by 9 in.

The original measurement of the painting is 30 in. by 22.5 in.

So, choosing a scale of 5 will be good because choosing scale 4 will exceed the width of the paper.

b) If we turn the paper on its side, then the width and height will be 9 in. by 6 1/2 in.

For this measurement, choosing a scale 4 would be fine because choosing scale 3 will exceed the width of the paper.