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Scale drawings worksheets

A map says 1 cm stands for 5 km, and every question about it comes down to what that sentence means. These free printable worksheets mix the four things a scale is asked to do: real lengths, lengths on the drawing, real areas and redrawing at a new scale. An answer sheet is included.

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Scale drawings
Scale drawings worksheet — Lengths, areas and new scales, free printable with answer key

The answer key prints on a separate page.

What's on this sheet

Going from the drawing to the real thing multiplies, and going back divides. That sounds simple, and it is, but a mixed page takes away the pattern. A student has to read each question and ask which direction it goes before touching the numbers, which is the real skill here.

Why this sheet works

Area is the question that catches people. A room drawn 3 cm by 4 cm at 1 cm to 2 m is 6 m by 8 m, which makes 48 square meters. Scaling the drawn area of 12 once gives 24, and that wrong answer looks perfectly reasonable. Redrawing at a new scale has its own trap: a bigger scale number means a smaller drawing.

How this one works

On a garden plan, 1 cm stands for 4 meters. A garden bed is drawn 4 cm by 7 cm. How many square meters is the real garden bed?

4×4=16
7×4=28
16×28=448
  1. Scale each side first, because the scale is about lengths. 4 × 4 = 16 and 7 × 4 = 28.
  2. Now the real area: 16 × 28 = 448, so it is 448 square meters. Multiplying the drawn area by 4 only once would give too small an answer.

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