Question

a lamppost casts a shadow that is 24 feet long. Tad,who is 6 feet tall, is standing directly next to the lamppost. His shadow is 15 feet long. How tall is the lamppost?

Answer 1

The lamppost and Tad create similar right triangles. Set up a proportion comparing their equivalent sides.

$\frac{lamppost height}{lamppost shadow}$= $\frac{tad height}{tad shadow}$

$\frac{x}{24}$ = $\frac{6}{15}$

Crossmultiply to solve.

24*6 = 15*x

144 = 15x

x = 9.6 feet