RocketDigitsStart free

All skills › Year 8 › Shapes & Geometry

Year 8 · Shapes & Geometry

Enlargements and scale factors

An enlargement multiplies every length by the same scale factor. Similar shapes are enlargements of each other.

Try a question

Loading a question…

How to do it

  1. Scale factor = new length ÷ old length.
  2. Multiply every other length by the same factor.

Worked example

A shape is enlarged by a scale factor of 1.5. A side of 4 cm becomes how many cm?
Multiply every length by the scale factor: 4 × 1.5 = 6.
Answer: 6

With a free account, these play as step-by-step animations.

Watch out
Angles stay the same; only lengths change.

Practise Enlargements and scale factors properly

Ten-question rounds with instant marking, a lesson under every question, stars and badges. Free to start, and the first week includes Premium.

Create a free account

More Shapes & Geometry skills