scale model of statue to display box

Question

There is a statue that is 8 feet tall. You have a display box that is 18 inches tall. Which is the scale that will allow for the tallest model of the statue to fit in the box?

Answer 1

Hi Michelle out there in Alaska!

 

First thing we need to do here is look at every object with the same kind of unit of measurement. So let's convert the 8-foot statue to inches:

 

8 feet x 12 inches per foot = 96 inches for the real statue

 

But the box for the model is only 18 inches tall, so your model can only be that big, too. So the ratio of the model to the real thing is 18:96, but you can simplify that down by dividing by their greatest common factor. If you factor them both out, you'll see their GCF is 6, so divide both numbers by 6 and you get 3:16 scale!

 

Good? :-)

 

Matt

Answer 2

I assume that width is not an issue.  It depends upon how much space you want to leave at the top of the box.  If you fill it to the 18 inch top, or 1.5 feet, you have a ratio of 1.5 to 8 feet which converts to a ratio of 1 to 5.33