Why a scale factor of half 1/2 reduces a figure
A scale factor of half (1/2) reduces a figure because it decreases the size of the figure by half.
When you scale a figure by a fraction like 1/2, each dimension (length, width, and height) of the figure is multiplied by that fraction. Since 1/2 is less than 1, the resulting values are smaller than the original dimensions.
For example, if you have a square with sides measuring 4 units, scaling it by a scale factor of 1/2 would multiply each side by 1/2, resulting in a square with sides measuring 2 units. The area, and therefore the overall size or volume, of the figure is decreased by half.