Editing Scale (ratio) (section)

{{Short description|Proportional ratio of a linear dimension}}
{{About|the scale ratio of a model||Scale (disambiguation){{!}}Scale}}
[[File:Maßstabsleiste.png|thumb|300x300px|Graphical scale bar in combination with a scale expressed as a ratio and a conversion help.]]The '''scale ratio''' of a [[Physical model|model]] represents the [[Proportionality (mathematics)|proportional]] ratio of a linear dimension of the model to the same feature of the original. Examples include a 3-dimensional [[scale model]] of a building or the scale drawings of the elevations or plans of a building.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rasch.org/rmt/rmt94b.htm|title=What is a Ratio Scale?|website=www.rasch.org|access-date=2017-11-19}}</ref>
In such cases the scale is [[Dimensionless number|dimensionless]] and '''exact''' throughout the model or drawing.

The scale can be expressed in four ways: in words (a lexical scale), as a ratio, as a fraction  and as a [[Linear scale|graphical (bar) scale]]. Thus on an architect's drawing one might read 'one centimeter to  one  meter', 1:100, 1/100, or {{sfrac|1|100}}. A bar scale would also normally appear on the drawing. [[colon (punctuation)|Colon]] may also be substituted with a specific, slightly raised ratio symbol {{unichar|2236|RATIO|nlink=ratio|html=}}, ie. {{not a typo|"1&ratio;100"}}.