Final answer:
To find out how many square centimeters represent 1 square meter in the scale drawing, divide the shaded area on the scale drawing by the actual area, the answer is 3/5 square centimeters. Therefore, the correct answer is Option A.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the number of square centimeters that represent 1 square meter in the scale drawing, we need to set up a proportion.
First, let's convert the area of the shaded area in square meters to square centimeters. Since 1 m² = 10,000 cm², the shaded area in square centimeters is 7 m² × 10,000 cm²/m² = 70,000 cm².
Next, we can set up the proportion: 12 cm represents 70,000 cm². Let x represent the number of square centimeters that represent 1 square meter.
12 cm / x = 70,000 cm² / 1 m²
To solve for x, we can cross multiply:
12 cm × 1 m² = x × 70,000 cm²
12 cm × 1 m² = 70,000 cm² × x
12 × 1 = 70,000 × x
x = 12 / 70,000
Simplifying, we get x = 3/5. Therefore, in the scale drawing, 3/5 square centimeters represent 1 square meter.