Question

an engineer wants to create a scale drawing of a bridge that has a length of 2000 ft. and a width of 450 ft. what is an appropriate unit of measure for the scale notation? scale: 1 cm = 200 ft. scale: 1 in. = 200 ft. scale: 1 in. = 200 in. scale: 1 mm = 200 ft.

Explanation:

Step1: Consider practicality of scale

When creating a scale - drawing of a large structure like a bridge, we need a scale that will result in a manageable - sized drawing.

Step2: Analyze each option

1. If 1 cm = 200 ft, for a 2000 - ft long bridge, the length on the drawing would be $\frac{2000}{200}=10$ cm. For a 450 - ft wide bridge, the width on the drawing would be $\frac{450}{200}=2.25$ cm. This is a reasonable - sized drawing.
2. If 1 in. = 200 ft, for a 2000 - ft long bridge, the length on the drawing would be $\frac{2000}{200}=10$ in. For a 450 - ft wide bridge, the width on the drawing would be $\frac{450}{200}=2.25$ in. This is also reasonable, but centimeters are more commonly used in technical drawings.
3. 1 in. = 200 in. is a non - standard scale for a large structure like a bridge and will not give a useful representation as it is a scale for relatively small objects.
4. If 1 mm = 200 ft, for a 2000 - ft long bridge, the length on the drawing would be $\frac{2000}{200}=10$ mm which is too small for a detailed drawing.

Answer:

Scale: 1 cm = 200 ft.