Question

On a sunny day, Larry notices that his shadow is 24 inches long. If it is 74 inches from the top of his head to the end of the shadow, how tall is Larry?​

Answer 1

70 inches

Explanation:

Larry forms a right triangle with the ground (this is one leg of a right triangle) and he is 24 inches from his shadow (this is the second leg).

74 inches is the hypotenuse of the right triangle

use pythagorean theorem: a^2 + b^2 = c^2

let h = Larry's height

h^2 + 24^2 = 74^2

h^2 + 576 = 5476

h^2 = 4900

h = sq rt 4900

h = 70