A drawing scaled 1/8 inch = 1 foot and the distance on the drawing measures 3 inches. How many feet does it represent?

• A. 24 feet
• B. 30 feet
• C. 36 feet
• D. 48 feet

Answer: (C)

Understanding how to translate a drawing scale to real size is key. The scale 1/8 inch equals 1 foot means every 1/8 inch on the drawing corresponds to 1 foot in real life. For a distance of 3 inches on the drawing, convert inches to eighths: 3 inches is 24 eighths. Since each eighth-inch represents 1 foot, the real distance is 24 feet. You can also see it as 1 inch on the drawing equals 8 feet in reality, so 3 inches equals 3 × 8 = 24 feet. Distances like 30 or 36 feet would require a different scale (larger feet-per-inch), not the given one.