Start by converting between millimeters and centimeters.
15, see solution.
Practice makes perfect
A microscope is used to enlarge tiny objects. Under a microscope, 2.5-millimeters-long cat flea appears 3.75-centimeters-long. We want to find the scale factor k of the enlargement. Before we do that, we should first convert 3.75 centimeters to millimeters.
Converting Units
We know that 10 millimeters are equal to 1 centimeter.
10 mm = 1 cm
To convert between units, we multiply by the conversion factor. It is a ratio of two equal lengths expressed using different units. Here the conversion factor is 10 mm 1 cm. Let's then multiply 3.75 centimeters by this factor and simplify.
3.75 cm * 10 mm/1 cm = 37.5 mm
We found that 3.75 centimeters is 37.5 millimeters.
Scale Factor
Now we can find the scale factor k. It is the ratio of the length of the image and the corresponding length of the preimage.
k=image length/preimage length
We know that the length of the insect is 2.5 mm and that its length under the microscope is 3.75 cm, or 37.5 mm. Let's substitute these lengths into the formula and evaluate the expression.
