scalefactor
nounUK /ˈskeɪlˌfæktə/
US /ˈskeɪlˌfæktər/
A number that tells you how much bigger or smaller something is made.
The map has a scale factor of one to a thousand, so one centimeter on the map means one thousand centimeters in real life.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. In geometry, the number you multiply each side of a shape by to make a similar shape.
Doubling every side of the triangle means the scale factor is two.
3. In math, a number used to change one set of measurements into another set.
We used a scale factor of 2.5 to turn the small drawing into a poster.
4. In science, a number that shows how much a model or measurement has been shrunk or enlarged.
The scale factor of the model airplane is 1 to 48.