To solve this problem, we can use some basic trigonometry functions, specifically the tangent function (abbreviated as tan).
Step 1: Identify the Given Values
First, we need to identify the values that were given to us in the problem. These are:
- The height of the girl, which is 5.5 feet.
- The angle of the sun above the horizon, which is 25 degrees.
Step 2: Convert Degrees to Radians
We need to convert the angle from degrees to radians because the trigonometric functions in Python use radians rather than degrees. To do this, we will use the formula: radian= degree*(pi/180). So, for our example, it would be 25*(pi/180) that results in approximately 0.44 radians.
Step 3: Apply the Tangent Function
We have to use the tangent function to find the length of the shadow. The formula would look like this:
tan(angle) = height / shadow_length
We can rearrange this formula for shadow_length:
Shadow_length= height/tan(angle)
Step 4: Substitute the values
Now we substitute the given values into the equation:
Shadow_length = 5.5/tan(0.44)
After this calculation, we find that the shadow length is approximately 11.79 feet.
So, the length of the girl's shadow when the sun is 25 degrees above the horizon is about 11.79 feet.