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A scale factor is the ratio of a length in the image to the corresponding length in the preimage
| Preimage | Image |
|---|---|
| Figure 2 | Figure 1 |
| Figure 3 | Figure 2 |
We want to decide which figures represent a dilation with a scale factor of 12.
Before we begin, recall that dilation is a transformation that enlarges or reduces the original figure proportionally. There are two types of dilation.
The first potential pair is Figures 2 and 1. We see that the base of Figure 1 is 1 unit, and the base of Figure 2 is 2 units.
The base of Figure 1 is exactly half the base of Figure 2. In the graph, we see that this is also true for the other pairs of lengths. This tells that Figure 1 is a dilation of Figure 2 with a scale factor of 12.
Similarly, the base of Figure 2 is half as long as the corresponding base of Figure 3.
From this we know that Figure 2 is a dilation of Figure 3 with a scale factor of 24= 12.
We can see that there are no other pairs of figures where one has sides twice as short, or half as long, as the other.