Finding

Area with Scale Drawings

Notes
 Finding the Area, Given Scale:

1. Find each of the dimensions of the object

separately

2. Plug your values into the area formula

(A = l Ÿw (rectangles); A = ½bh (triangles))

3. Solve for the area

4. Add in units
 Try It:
The scale drawing of a swimming pool with a scale
of 1 inch : 10 feet has the dimensions of 3 inches
long and 2 inches wide.
1.  What are the actual dimensions of the pool?
2.  What is the area of the actual pool?

1. Length: 30 feet, Width: 20 feet

2. Area of Actual Pool: 30 x 20 = 600 square feet
 Practice:
The size of a photo is 5 inches by 7 inches. If it is
being enlarged into a poster by a scale of 1 inch :
2 feet, what is the area of the poster?

Length: 10 feet
Width: 14 feet
Area: (10)(14)
Area = 140 square feet
 Practice:
The rectangle was enlarged using the scale 1 inch : 4
inches. The new rectangle is shown below. What is the
area of the original rectangle?

Length: 3 inches
Width: 4 inches Area: (3)(4) = 12

The area of the original rectangle is 12 square inches.

 Finding the Area of Triangle Scale Drawings
1. Find each of the dimensions of the object
separately (height and width) using scale factor
2. Plug your values into the triangle area formula
(A = ½bh)
3. Solve for the area
4. Add in units (squared)
Example: A scale drawing of a triangle has the
dimensions 2 cm high by 6 cm wide. If the scale used is
1 cm : 3 yards, what is the area of the actual triangle?
A = ½ (6 yards)(18 yards)
The area of the triangle is 54 square yards.
 Try It:
A triangle has a base of 14 feet and height of 6
feet. What is the area of the triangle?

Area: ½ (base) (height)

Area: ½ (14) (6)
Area: 42
The area of the triangle is 42 square feet
 Practice:
A drawing of a triangular baseball field has the
dimensions of 10 inches (height) and 12 inches
(base). If the drawing used a scale of 1 inch : 15
feet, what is the area of the actual baseball
field?

Height: 150 feet

Base: 180 feet
Area: ½ (150)(180)
Area = 13,500 square feet
 Practice
The dimensions of a triangular photo are 4 inches high
by 6 inches wide. If Dan wants to expand the photo by a
scale of 1 inch: 2 ½ inches, what is the area of the new
photograph?

New Height: 10 inches

New Base: 15 inches
A=½bh

A = ½ (15)(10)
A = 75
The area of the new photo is 75 square inches.
 Finding the Area from Coordinate Graphs
1. Find each of the dimensions of the object
separately
2. Plug your values into the area formula
(A = l Ÿw (rectangles); A = ½bh (triangles))
3. Solve for the area
4. Add in units

*Make sure to check the scale of the grid before

measuring the sides*
 Try It:
The scale drawing of triangle STU below was
created using a scale of 1 grid = 3 feet. What is the
area of the object?

Base: 10 units ! 30 feet

Height: 8 units ! 24 feet
A = ½ (30)(24) = 360 square feet