Question

10. the greek mathematician thales wasknown to have calculated the height ofthe great pyramid of cheops bymeasuring the shadow of a pole. hefound that the base of the pyramid hassides that are 756 ft. long. if his 3 ft.pole cast a shadow that was 6 ft. longat the same time that the shadow of thepyramid was 586 ft. long, determinethe height of the pyramid to thenearest foot.

Answer 1

Answer: The height of the pyramid of Cheops is 479 feet.

Explanation:

The height of the pyramid of Cheops is 479 feet.

To determine the height of the pyramid, we can use the concept of similar triangles. Since the pole and the pyramid have the same angle of inclination in relation to the sun, their shadows form similar triangles. Thus, we can use the ratio of the sides of the triangle to calculate the height of the pyramid.

The ratio of the side lengths is 6:756 for the pole and 586:756 for the pyramid. The height of the pyramid is then 586/6 = 97.67 ft.

Rounding this value to the nearest foot, the height of the pyramid of Cheops is 479 feet.