12. A scale of \( 1: 3 \) is used on an engine schematic of a 351 C engine. In the drasiog the distributor gear is 0.47 inches. What is the actual diameter of the gear? Round to two decimal places.

To find the actual diameter of the gear, we can use the scale factor given. The drawing scale of \( 1:3 \) means that for every 1 inch on the drawing, it corresponds to 3 inches in reality. So, we multiply the drawn diameter by 3 to get the actual diameter. Given that the distributor gear measures 0.47 inches in the drawing, the actual diameter would be: \[ \text{Actual Diameter} = 0.47 \text{ inches} \times 3 = 1.41 \text{ inches} \] So, the actual diameter of the distributor gear is approximately 1.41 inches. Understanding scale drawings is crucial, especially when designing or reading blueprints. It helps ensure that components fit together accurately in real-life applications, such as in automotive engineering, architecture, or any field that relies on precision in representation. Moreover, when working with scale measurements, one common mistake is to mistakenly divide instead of multiplying by the scale factor. It's important to pay attention to the scale and remember whether it’s a reduction or enlargement to avoid errors in measurements that could lead to fitting issues later on.