Question

In the early afternoon, a tree casts a shadow that is 2 feet long. A 4.2-foot-tall boy standing nextto the tree casts a shadow that is 0.7 feet long. How tall is the tree?

Answer 1

In this drawing, the traingle on the left, has the height of the tree (T) and the size of the shadow 2 feet

The tringle on the right, has the height of the boy, 4.2 feet and the shadow is 0.7 feet

The angle a is the angle with respect to the sun light

The triangles are congruent, because therefore the proportion of their sides is equal, so we can write:

T/2 = 4.2/0.7

Solving for T:

T = 2(4.2/0.7) = 12

T = 12

Answer:

The tree is 12 feet tall