National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI) Carpentry Practice Exam

Using a scale of 1/4 inch = 1-1/2 feet, what does a line measuring 2 inches represent?

1. 6 feet

2. 8 feet

3. 10 feet, 6 inches

4. 12 feet

The correct answer is: 10 feet, 6 inches

To determine what a line measuring 2 inches represents using the scale of 1/4 inch = 1-1/2 feet, it's important to break down the relationship established by the scale. First, we convert inches to a common unit that matches the scale. The scale indicates that every 1/4 inch on the drawing represents 1-1/2 feet in reality. We can express 1-1/2 feet as 1.5 feet, giving a clear numerical relationship. If we want to find out what 2 inches corresponds to in feet, we can first determine how many 1/4 inch segments fit into 2 inches. Since 2 inches is equal to 8 quarters (because 2 inches divided by 1/4 inch equals 8), we can then calculate how many sets of 1-1/2 feet correspond to those 8 segments. Next, we multiply the number of quarter segments (8) by the length they represent in feet (1.5 feet): \[ 8 \times 1.5 \text{ feet} = 12 \text{ feet}. \] This final calculation shows that a line measuring 2 inches on the drawing translates to