A building block has the length of 12 cm.
The scale of the model is 1cm = 4in
Find the actual length of the building block.
To find the actual length of the building block, we need to convert the length from centimeters to inches using the given scale.
1 cm = 4 in
Therefore, the actual length of the building block in inches is:
12 cm x 4 in/cm = 48 inches
So, the actual length of the building block is 48 inches.
Explain
To find the actual length of the building block, we use the given scale of 1cm = 4in. This means that for every 1 centimeter on the model, there are 4 inches in real life.
Since the length of the building block is 12 cm, we can convert this length to inches by multiplying it by the conversion factor based on the scale:
12 cm x 4 in/cm = 48 inches
Therefore, the actual length of the building block in real life is 48 inches.
How do you set up the problem?
To set up the problem, start with the length of the building block in centimeters:
12 cm
Then, use the given scale to convert this length to inches. The scale is 1cm = 4in, so you can set up a proportion to find the actual length in inches:
1 cm = 4 in
12 cm = x inches
Cross multiply to solve for x:
1 * x = 4 * 12
x = 48
Therefore, the actual length of the building block is 48 inches.
Do centimeters go on top or the bottom?
When setting up a conversion factor between centimeters and inches, it is important to ensure that the units are set up in such a way that they cancel out correctly. In this case, since we want to convert centimeters to inches, the unit we are starting with (centimeters) needs to go on the bottom of the fraction, and the unit we are converting to (inches) needs to go on the top.
This is because we want the centimeters unit to cancel out, leaving us with the desired unit of inches.
So, centimeters should be on the bottom and inches should be on the top when setting up the conversion factor.
So is it:
x/12 = 4/1?
Yes, the correct setup of the proportion would be:
x inches / 12 cm = 4 inches / 1 cm
This setup ensures that the units of centimeters cancel out when you cross multiply, leaving you with the desired unit of inches as the result.