1. If Barbie were as big as me…

2. How should I scale Barbie so she will be the right size?
Barbie and me
How should I scale Barbie so she will be the right size?

3. What do you need to find out?
Barbie’s measurements
My measurements

4. What should I measure? Here’s mine Here’s Barbie’s10
12.5
6.5 21 7 17 37 26 34 40 30 68
Here’s mine
0.6 2
0.75
1.25 4 1
2.5 5
3.75 6
6.5
5.5 12
Here’s Barbie’s
P.S. I measured everything in inches.

5. How should I scale Barbie?
If Barbie were as tall as me, she would be 5 ft 8 in tall, but her wrist wouldn’t be big enough for her bones.
If Barbie’s wrist were as big as mine, she would be 8 ft 8 in tall (but her wrist bones would probably be bigger now.)
Change Barbie’s proportions yourself

6. How much would Barbie weigh?
We have made Barbie larger by multiplying by the same scaling factor.
Weight is different – it depends on volume, not just length.

7. How much would Barbie weigh?
Here are two cubes. Determine the ratio of their volumes to find the ratio of their weights.
Small cube 1 in sides
Large cube 4 in sides
Ratio of the sides is 4 to 1
What is the ratio of the volume of the large cube to the small cube?
64 to 1; 64 small cubes make one large cube; 64 is 4 cubed
Change volume or weight by multiplying by the ratio of the lengths cubed

8. Check out Barbie’s weight for different heights. Are these reasonable?
Life Size Barbie
Check out Barbie’s weight for different heights. Are these reasonable?
What are some of the problems with Barbie’s proportions?
Which feature is the most out of scale for her body?
What conclusions can you make about Barbie if she were life-sized?

9. Change Ken’s proportions to make him life sized
How about Ken?
Change Ken’s proportions to make him life sized

10. Clothing for Barbie What size clothing would Barbie wear?
Tops
Bottoms
Shoes
What size shoes would Ken wear?
Clothing charts

11. Life size Barbie posters
Posters made by grade 7 students at Horizons, Clarkson University, Summer 2005