Scale drawings: word problems

Write the scale of the drawing as a fraction:

1cm
6m

Write an equivalent fraction with 30 metres as the denominator.

1cm×56m×5 = 5cm30m

In the drawing, the lawn is 5 centimetres wide.

Learn with an example

👉Tony made a scale drawing of a swimming pool. The pool, which is 18 metres wide in real life, is 2 millimetres wide in the drawing.

1 millimetre : _____ metres

Write the ratio of the width of the pool in the drawing to the width of the actual pool. Write the ratio in fraction form.

2 mm / 18 m

Simplify the fraction.

2 mm ÷ 2 / 18 m ÷ 2 = 1 mm / 9 m

The scale of the drawing is 1 millimetre : 9 metres.

👉 Eva measured a summer camp and made a scale drawing. She used the scale 1 millimetre : 3 metres. If the sand volleyball court is 3 millimetres in the drawing .

 _____ metres

Write the scale of the drawing as a fraction:

1 mm / 3 m

Write an equivalent fraction with 3 millimetres as the numerator.

1 mm × 3 / 3 m × 3 = 3 mm / 9 m

The actual volleyball court is 9 metres wide.

👉 Mitchell drew a scale drawing of a house and its lot. In real life, the front patio is 30 metres long. It is 3 centimetres long in the drawing.

1 centimetre : _______ metres

Write the ratio of the length of the patio in the drawing to the length of the actual patio. Write the ratio in fraction form.

3 cm / 13 m

Simplify the fraction.

3 cm ÷ 3 / 30 m ÷ 3 = 1 cm / 10 m

The scale of the drawing is 1 centimetre : 10 metres.

let’s practice! 🖊️