Scale factor is a conversion factor by which the size of a geometrical shape can be changed with respect to its true size. We use scale factor to draw reduced or enlarged shapes of any given figure and to find out the missing area, volume, or length of the reduced or the enlarged figure. We can calculate the scale factor if the dimensions of the original figure and the changed figure are known to us. While solving scale up and down with percents in a word problems, it is important that we identify the original dimensions and the changed dimensions to derive at our desired answer.
Things to keep in mind while solving to scale up and down with percents (word problems).