Scale Drawings and Maps – Area Scale Factors | Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Maths
Scale drawings are useful for representing large real-life objects and areas using smaller measurements. When calculating an area from a scale drawing, the scale factor must be squared because area is two-dimensional. Question – Area of a Park from a Scale Drawing A map has a scale of 1 : 40 000 . A rectangular park is shown on the map as measuring 5.8 cm by 4.4 cm . Calculate the area of the park in real life, giving the answer in km² to 3 significant figures . Working 1 : 4 × 10⁴ 5.8 : 5.8 × 4 × 10⁴ 4.4 : 4.4 × 4 × 10⁴ Area of park in real life: 5.8 × 4.4 × 4² × (10⁴)² cm² = 408.32 × 10⁸ cm² 1 m = 100 cm = 10² cm 1000 m = 1 km = 10⁵ cm 1 cm = 10⁻⁵ km (1 cm)² = (10⁻⁵ km)² 1 cm² = 10⁻...