Question

A flag is 2 feet by 3 feet. I want to enlarge the flag so that the longest side is 15 feet. How long should the shorter side of new flag be to be proportional to the smaller flag?

Answer 1

10 feet

Explanation:

Given

Dimension = 2 feet by 3 feet

Required

Determine the length of the short side if the longer side is scaled to 15 feet

Represent the before and after enlargement as a ratio:

Before Enlargement

Ratio = 2 ft : 3ft

After Enlargement

Ratio = x : 15 ft

Where x represents the length of the shorter side

Since they're both proportional, their ratio must be equal.

So, we have:

2 : 3 = x : 15

Convert ratio to fraction

⅔ = x/15

Multiply both sides by 15

15 * ⅔ = 15 * x/15

15 * ⅔ = x

30/3 = x

10 = x

x = 10

Hence, the length of the shorter side must be 10 feet