Scale Factors Lab

Purpose: To discover shortcuts in calculating scale factors.

Section 1: Understanding scale factors.

Step 1: What is the definition of a scale factor?

How is a scale factor different from a ratio?

How is a scale factor the same as a ratio?

Step 2: Identify scale factors for each of the following sets of numbers.

𝐴: 2 → 8 𝐵: 3 → 9 𝐶: 2 → 10 𝐷: 12 → 3

What types of numbers so far can be used for a scale factor?

So far we have only used simple whole number scale factors (positive only that’s why not integers) and simple
singular fractions with a one in the numerator (dividing). However, all rational numbers are capable of being a
scale factor.

Step 3: Building connections for non-simple scale factor ratios. Once again, identify the scale factors for each
set of numbers.

𝐴: 8 → 1 𝐵: 5 → 1 𝐶: 12 → 1 𝐷: 82 → 1

What oddity do you seem to notice whenever you are trying to scale a number down to 1? Does it seem like
you are doing actual math or are you able to just see the ratio without having to think? The ability to scale to
“1” is an extremely important concept. In a few words, explain why. (You may have to come back to this
question after you do a few more steps on the next page. However, if you remember how parent functions
work from algebra 1 you in theory already have enough information to figure this out).
Step 4: How does the scale factor format change once you switch “1” from the end to the initial value?

𝐸: 1 → 3 𝐹: 1 → 11 𝐺: 1 → 13 𝐻: 1 → 25

Recap: What were the scale factors when you had:

𝐴: 8 → 1 𝐵: 5 → 1 𝐶: 12 → 1 𝐷: 82 → 1

Step 5: Now lets see if you can apply your understanding of the most useful properties of “1”. Determine the
scale factors for each of the following sets of numbers.

𝐼: 8 → 3 𝐽: 5 → 11 𝐾: 12 → 13 𝐿: 82 → 25

How were the scale factors of I through L related to examples A through H?

Go back and answer the question about “1” if you skipped it earlier.

Summary: What can you theorize about the scale factor when going from a → b?
 Section 2: Understanding the properties of proportions.
Step 1: Solve the proportion in example 1. Attempt to do it in your head if possible.
6 𝑥
Example 1: =4 →→→→ 𝑥=
2
Explain how you got the value of x. Do not just say you did it in your head. What mathematical relationships
were you observing to come to your conclusion?

What is the scale factor of example one?

Step 2: Now consider different variations of the proportion from example 1. Can you still find X in your head
for each of these situations?
𝑥 6 2 4 6 2 4 𝑥
𝐴: =2 B: 6 = 𝑥 C: 𝑥 = 4 D: 2 = 6
4
Did the value of x change for any of the above examples? Single word answer will suffice.

What aspects of the initial proportion did change from the original example 1?

What are the different scale factors of the situations in step two?

A: B: C: D:
Step 3: Using the original example 1, draw the lines of symmetry (make each line a different color and label)
that were used in rotating various aspects of the proportion into the proportions found in Example 2.

6 𝑥
=
2 4

Conclusion: You can basically ____________ the proportion around a line of symmetry and still create an
equivalent proportion.
Section 3: Solving harder (for most people not you) proportions using math.
Earlier we learned how to intuitively use a scale factor to figure out the missing value in a proportion. What
happens if the initial proportion is a little tougher?
Step 4: Solve the following equation algebraically.

𝑥
Example 1: 8= , What mathematical property are you using to isolate x?
3
3
What happens if the equation becomes: Example 2: 8= ,
𝑥
What do you do now to solve for x?

Is there a second method you can use that involves an axis of symmetry?

Why did example 2 require an extra “step” to solving the equation compared to example 1?

Now let’s take the equation further. What happens if I give you:

8 3
=
5 𝑥
Is there a way to simply take one of your methods on example two and simply add on one extra step
afterwards? What do you have to do?

Two of those steps can occur simultaneously. What are they? What is doing these two steps simultaneously
called?

What mathematical property states that both of those steps can essentially be done simultaneously since the
order of which they occur does not matter?

Is there a way to apply the knowledge of fractional scale factors that you learned earlier to get to x without
having to cross multiply?
Section 4: Simplifying proportions before solving.

When it comes to being “good” at math, one of the generally accepted traits is that the faster you are at
organizing your problem then the better you will be overall at math. Another is your ability to do calculations
without a calculator. Let’s take a look at some organizational tricks we can use with proportions.

Step 1: Perform the operations for both expressions in the order that they are given.

8 ∗ 35 ÷ 7 = vs. 35 ÷ 7 ∗ 8 =

Both equations will yield the same answer but one of them should have felt easier to do without a calculator.
What was the main difference?

Step 2: By now you might have your own theories on what I am trying to get you to do. Let see if you can do
something similar with a harder question. Follow the same directions as step 1.

15 ∗ 28 ÷ 7 ÷ 5 = vs. (15 ÷ 5) ∗ (28 ÷ 7) =

Hopefully at this point you should be noticing a patter. If you are starting to think that contrary to
conventional wisdom, doing division first before multiplication makes things easier then you are correct. Take
a moment to answer why you think this is so?

Step 3: Now, try one on your own. Your goal is to figure out the answer completely in your head.
24 ∗ 20 ∗ 42 ÷ 7 ÷ 10 ÷ 6 ÷ 6 =

Imagine how big that number would have gotten before you started dividing if you had done things in order!
Step 4: Lets move on to trickier situations since problems rarely stay that easy for very long. Try to do this one
in your head.
63 ÷ 28 ∗ 36 =

If you are stuck then continue reading.

You might think that this is not fair since all 3 numbers are quite large and none of them directly divide into
each other the way the previous problems did and you are correct. However, if you look closely, the 28
actually does share some similarities to the 63. Part of the problem right now is the way that the expression
has been written. If we were to change it to something that is more comfortable
(63)(36)
= then you might start seeing some of the things that you should be doing instead.
28

That’s right, you need to simplify the fraction.

(9)(36)
First you need to simplify out that factor of 7 from the 63 and the 28 to get . Now from here you can
4
probably see what to do to finish off the math.

So to take us back to the original expression, 63 ÷ 28 ∗ 36 = . You really want to factor the 28 into a 4 and a
7 and simplify from there.

Step 5: So how does this apply to proportions? Well, sometimes you can simplify one half of the proportion by
using normal rules of fraction simplification. Give it a try in the following examples to solve for x.

(15)(12) 𝑥 (26)(6) 𝑥 𝑥 (4)(9)(25)

= = =
9 2 39 5 2 30

Step 6: Sometimes it is possible to reduce a fraction on both sides of the equation. Give these examples a try.
(16)(12) (15)(6)𝑥 (48)(45)𝑥 (14)(15) (20)(40) (22)(15)(24)
= = =
32 (9)(10) (3)(36) 35 25𝑥 (33)(40)(6)
Step 7: Now let’s continue. We know that you can simplify a proportion using normal fraction rules. Now let’s
see if there are other ways that we can simplify using our understanding of the multiplication identity. Let’s
2𝑥 7
use the proportion = as an example. We know that if we multiply both sides by 5 that the
5 5
denominators of a 5 will cancel out on both sides of the proportion. Do you think that therefore if a common
factor shows up in both denominators that they can be directly cancelled out? If you are not sure. Test it out
with both of these proportions.
2𝑥 7 4𝑥 35
= =
15 10 (9)(12) (27)(8)

So it actually does work. Same thing applies to the numerators of a proportion as well. You can simplify in that
situation too.

Really, the only direction you can’t simplify is diagonally.

Now have fun with this gigantic proportion. You can expect to see one of these on the final exam and it will be
a no calculator section question.

(25)(16)(21)(46)(23)𝑥 7(529)(52)(12)
=
(60)(39)(34)(55)(35) (121)(169)(2)(15)