If each dimension of a steel bridge is scaled up ten times, its strength will be multiplied by about
A)ten and its weight by ten also.
B)one hundred, and its weight by one thousand.
C)one thousand, and its weight by one hundred thousand.
D)none of the above

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The strength of a structure scales with the square of its dimensions, while the weight scales with the cube of its dimensions. Therefore, if each dimension is scaled up by ten, the strength increases by 10^2 (one hundred), and the weight increases by 10^3 (one thousand).

If Each Dimension of a Steel Bridge Is Scaled Up