Hello there! When I am drawing something on a paper (like a box) , what does it mean if it has a scale of 2:1. Does that mean that 2 cm on the paper equals to 1 cm in real life; or is it 1 cm on the paper is equal to 2 cm in real life? Thanks!
2007-06-20 07:58:13 · 5 answers · asked by nocturrno12 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Homework Help
I disagree with two of the answers given here. I do a lot of work with blue prints and generally they are .25:1 or 1/4"=1' which mean that for every quarter inch on paper that is one foot in real life. A wall that measures 2 inches on paper is actually 8 feet long. When dealing with model cars or airplanes, they can be in 1/16th scale with is saying that the car is 1/16th the size of a real car. The best way that I can describe this is the eiffel tower in las vegas. It is 1:2 or half scale. Everything about the tower in vegas is exactly half the size of the real thing in paris but if it was 2:1, it would be double. I good example would also be a drawing of a small bug, like a fly. You would need it to be two to one to show good details since they are so small. For every 2 inches you draw, say a two inch box......it would actually be one inch in real life. This is just how I see it so I hope it helps out!
2007-06-20 08:19:45 · answer #1 · answered by sparky 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A scale of 2:1 means the real measurements are "twice" as large as the drawing, which is "half" the size of the real dimensions.
So your second guess is right -- 1 cm on paper is equal to 2 cm in real life.
Think of it like a map. Like maps, most diagrams are "smaller" than real life, so that these are very fast and convenient to look at as visual references.
It is not as common for the drawing to be "larger" than the real size (for example, diagrams of cells or microscopic images would be larger than the real object which is too small to be seen without magnifying).
2007-06-20 15:03:56 · answer #2 · answered by Nghiem E 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's 2 to 1 or 2 cm per 1 cm drawn.
2007-06-20 15:01:42 · answer #3 · answered by abizzell4hire 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
2:1 in cm means that for every 2 cm in real life is 1 cm drawn.
Hope that helps.
2007-06-20 15:06:54 · answer #4 · answered by soccerref 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An ordnance survey map has a scale of 1:50,000 or 1:25,000. This is the ratio of the measurement (1) on the map to the measurement (50,000 or 25,000) on the land.
On this basis, your 2:1 scale means that measurements on the drawing are twice those in real life.
2007-06-20 15:25:29 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋