Question

A tree casts a 20-foot shadow. At the same time, a 6-foot man's shadow measures 5 feet. Which of the following equations can be solved to determine the height (n) of the tree?

Options:
A) 6/5 = n/20
B) 6/20 = 5/n
C) 5/20 = 6/n
D) n/5 = 6/20

Answer 1

To determine the height of the tree using shadows and similar triangles, the correct equation is 6/5 = n/20, where n represents the height of the tree.

Step-by-step explanation:

Given that a 6-foot man's shadow measures 5 feet, and a tree casts a 20-foot shadow, the correct equation to find the height (n) of the tree is based on the similar triangles principle which maintains that the corresponding sides of similar triangles are proportional. The equation representing this is Option A) 6/5 = n/20. This uses the proportion between the man's height and his shadow to find the unknown height of the tree with its known shadow length.