Please help find architect's scale

[neophoible]

"On an architect's drawing of a new school, the length of the gymnasium is 8 inches. This represents an actual length of 72 feet...." I must be missing something here. Please note the scale and explain how it represents the architectural industry.

[ReMark]

Are you sure the actual length is 72 feet and not 64 feet? If it were 1/8"=1' then I could understand as that is one of the more common architectural scales used in the U.S.

 

I can come close using an engineering scale of 1"=10' thus making 8" equivalent to 80 feet.

[ReMark]

57/512=1'-0" .111328125*72'=8.015" Ta da!

[RobDraw]

A scale factor of 108 will get that 8" to 72'.

[welldriller]

I can't imagine anyone doing this but here goes

 

8" = 9'

 

9' X 12" = 108"

 

8" X 108" = 864"

 

864" / 12 = 72'

 

Doesn't make any sense to me either

[neophoible]

The reason I put this in chat is I wasn't sure it should go anywhere else. I was quoting a practice problem for the state exam in Algebra I. I suspect that the original problem may have been real world, e.g., ReMark's 64', but it irks me that they used an odd scale this way. The correct answer on the practice test is 1"=9', which is still not a standard format, but the fact that the scale itself is not representative of the industry bothers me even more. If it were just this one problem, I'd let it go. But it seems like I come across this sort of thing, and worse--a lot worse--frequently. Maybe I should lighten up in this one case, as it was probably done by mathematics education types who don't really have a real-world understanding but are just interested in the proportions. Nah. They should know better, or know enough to find out and do it right. At least they had a ‘right’ answer for the problem. Of course, with my own progeny it becomes a teaching opportunity for me. By the way, I learned a long time ago that mathematics education types are not the same as mathematics types. Anyway, thanks for all the input.

[ReMark]

Our problem was we were looking for something normally used in the industry.

[eldon]

I think that the proper answer is "Look in the Title Block"

[ReMark]

Or buy a knockoff architect's scale made in China. 1"=9'? No problem. 1"=23.28'? No problem. 1"=1 chickenweigh? We got that covered!

[f700es]

Is the drawing even printed to scale? Or should I say a normal scale factor? Sounds like it was printed to fit to me.

[eldon]

As this turns out to be an exam question, we can be sure that no such drawing existed on paper, only in someone's imagination

[neophoible]

Our problem was we were looking for something normally used in the industry.

Yes, and I think that is exactly what should have been in the problem, something normally used in the industry, or else distance the problem from said industry. In other words, they created a problem that could just cause problems. Employer: "Where did you get the idea that 1/9"=1'-0" is a legitimate architect scale?" New guy: "Well, it was used in our curriculum and on the state's Algebra I exam, so I assumed it was right."

 

I think that the proper answer is "Look in the Title Block"

Yeah, that kind of "well thought out" prob deserves just that kind of very specific answer.

 

Or buy a knockoff architect's scale made in China. 1"=9'? No problem. 1"=23.28'? No problem. 1"=1 chickenweigh? We got that covered!

Now you're talkin'!

 

As this turns out to be an exam question, we can be sure that no such drawing existed on paper, only in someone's imagination

Yeah, and imagination is great, but they are applying it in the wrong way. We can only hope they weren't going by an actual drawing! However, I would not put it past some of the "educators" I've encountered to have just such a "real world" drawing to match their "real world" question!

 

Just so no one misunderstands me, I'm not aiming this at all teachers, instructors, et al. There are some good ones out there as well. Maybe somehow this could be turned into a positive, for example, by finding a way to help our state educators develop true real world problems, vet them professionally and thus actually provide the intended real world exposure for students. Hmmm. But again, this one was close enough that it is possible someone changed it, then bypassed the normal vetting. "What could go wrong?" Oops.

 

Again, thanks for all the input, and the humor.