Final answer:
To determine the actual height of the flagpole represented by a 7.5-inch drawing, a proportion is set up using the scale 3 inches to 8 feet. Cross-multiplication is used to find that the actual height is 20 feet.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks us to calculate the actual height of a flagpole based on a scale drawing measurement. The scale given is 3 inches on the drawing equals 8 feet in real life. If the drawing of the flagpole is 7.5 inches tall, we can set up a proportion to find the actual height of the flagpole:
Scale: 3 in = 8 ft
Drawing measurement: 7.5 in = ? ft
Using cross multiplication, we have:
(3 in / 8 ft) = (7.5 in / x ft)
3x = 7.5 * 8
3x = 60
x = 60 / 3
x = 20 ft
Therefore, the actual height of the flagpole is 20 feet.