Final answer:
When a painting is enlarged by a factor of 5, the area of the enlarged painting is 25 times as large as the area of the original painting because the ratio of areas is the square of the scale factor.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student asks about the change in area when a painting is enlarged by a scale factor. The important concept here is that the ratio of areas of similar figures is the square of the scale factor. If Kaylee enlarged a painting by a factor of 5, each dimension of the original painting is multiplied by 5. Consequently, the new area is not just 5 times larger; it is 5 squared, which is 25 times larger. So, if the original painting had an area of A, the enlarged painting would have an area of 25A.