What is the difference between a scale and a scale factor?

A scale refers to the ratio that compares the dimensions of a model or drawing to the actual object it represents, indicating how much the model has been enlarged or reduced. In contrast, a scale factor is the numerical multiplier applied to each dimension of the original object to create the scaled version, effectively representing the relationship between the sizes. For example, a scale of 1:100 means the model is 1 unit in size for every 100 units of the actual object, and the scale factor in this case is 1/100.