A scale factor of a reduction is a number less than 1 that represents how much smaller an image or object becomes after the reduction.
Essentially, the scale factor determines the ratio between the dimensions of the original object and the dimensions of the reduced object. Because it's a reduction, the scale factor will always be a positive number between 0 and 1 (0 < scale factor < 1).
For example:
- If a square has a side length of 10 units and is reduced using a scale factor of 0.5, the new square will have a side length of 5 units (10 * 0.5 = 5).
- A scale factor of 0.25 means the new object will be 1/4 the size of the original.
Therefore, to answer the question "What is a scale factor of this reduction?", you need to know the original size and the reduced size. The scale factor can then be calculated as:
Scale Factor = (Dimension of Reduced Object) / (Dimension of Original Object)
If you don't have specific dimensions, a statement like "it's smaller than 1" serves as a general answer describing its nature.
