Final answer:
To find the number of square centimeters that represent 1 square meter in the scale drawing, convert the area represented in the drawing to square meters and then find the ratio between that area and the actual area of the maple tree. Divide the area represented by 12 cm in the drawing by the actual area of the tree to find the number of square centimeters that represent 1 square meter.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the number of square centimeters that represent 1 square meter in the scale drawing, we need to determine the ratio between the actual area of the maple tree and the area represented by 12 cm in the drawing. First, we need to find the actual area of the maple tree by converting the area represented in the drawing to square meters. Since the scale of the drawing is 1 cm - 2 meters, the actual area of the maple tree is 73 m² multiplied by the square of the scale factor, which is (1/200)². This gives us an actual area of 0.001825 m².
Next, we can find the number of square centimeters that represent 1 square meter in the drawing by dividing the area represented by 12 cm in the drawing by the actual area of the maple tree. The ratio is 12 cm divided by 0.001825 m², which is approximately 6575.34 cm². Therefore, in the scale drawing, 6575.34 square centimeters represent 1 square meter.