Enlargement of a shape or quantity is determined by its scale factor.
The position of a shape is determined by where the centre of enlargement is located.
The centre of enlargement can either be within the shape or outside it.
How does a scale factor work?
When describing an enlargement you must state by how much the shape has been enlarged. This is called the scale factor. For example, a scale factor of 2 means that the new shape is double the size of the original shape.
When a scale factor is a fraction the shape decreases in size, but we still call this an enlargement. So a scale factor of ¼ means that the new shape is 4 times smaller than the original.
Always check that you don't confuse the scale factor. For example, a scale factor of 2 might be mistaken for a scale factor of ½ or a scale factor of 4 mistaken for a scale factor of ¼.
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