Final answer:
The scale factor for scaling from a 6ft by 8ft rectangle to a 9ft by 12ft rectangle is 1.5. This is determined by dividing the new lengths by the original lengths for both dimensions, which both yield 1.5.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves finding the scale factor between two sets of dimensions that represent similar figures or models. Specifically, it asks for the scale factor when scaling from a 6ft by 8ft rectangle to a 9ft by 12ft rectangle. To find the scale factor, we compare the corresponding sides of the two rectangles.
We start by comparing the first set of corresponding sides: 9ft (new length) divided by 6ft (original length) equals 1.5. This procedure confirms that the scale factor for the length is 1.5. Next, we compare the second set of corresponding sides: 12ft (new width) divided by 8ft (original width) also equals 1.5. Since both scale factors match, this validates that the overall scale factor is indeed 1.5, hence the answer is option (a) 1.5.