In a blueprint using a 1/4" scale, what does 3 1/2" represent?

In a blueprint that uses a 1/4" scale, every 1/4 inch on the drawing corresponds to 1 foot in reality. To understand what 3 1/2 inches represents in terms of feet, we can perform a simple conversion.

First, convert the measurement on the blueprint into a scale that reflects the actual dimensions. Since 1/4 inch equals 1 foot, we set up the following relationship:

• 3 1/2 inches can be expressed as a fraction: (3.5 \text{ inches} = 3.5 \div 0.25).

Next, we need to divide 3.5 by 0.25 to find out how many feet that corresponds to:

• (3.5 \div 0.25 = 14).

Thus, 3 1/2 inches on a 1/4" scale blueprint translates to 14 feet in actual size. This understanding of scale is fundamental in construction and design to ensure accurate measurements and proportions, making option C the correct interpretation of the blueprint measurement.