Final answer:
The scale factor in a dilation is the ratio of the corresponding lengths of the sides of the dilated triangle to the original triangle. In this case, the scale factor is k (option a).
Step-by-step explanation:
The scale factor in a dilation is the ratio of the corresponding lengths of the sides of the dilated triangle to the original triangle.
In this case, the triangle is dilated with a scale factor of k, so the corresponding side lengths of the dilated triangle would be k times the lengths of the original triangle.
Therefore, the scale factor is k (option a).