Amy is reducing a 12-foot wide by 15-foot long room to a drawing that is 18 inches wide. What is the length of the drawing?

Answer 1

Given: Room is 12 x 15 feet

Reduce it to a drawing that is 18 inches wide.

SOLUTION:

Let L = length (in inches) of the 15-foot side.

Setup a proportion

to determine the size of the 15-foot side.

(L inches) / (15 feet) = ( 18 inches ) / (12 feet)

L = (15) * (18) / (12)

L = 42/5

L = 22.5 inches

Answer 2

12 feet in proportion to 18 inches

144 inches in proportion to 18 inches

the proportion is 8 to 1

15 feet = 15*12 inches = 180 inches

180/8 = 90/4 = 45/2 = 22.5 inch

So in summary:

12 feet 144 in 8 15 feet 180 in

----------- = ------- = --------- = ----------- = ------------

18 in 18 in 1 ? ?

8 * ? = 180 ---> ?=22.5 or 22 + 1/2 inches