Final answer:
The Sun is lower in the sky later in the morning, resulting in longer shadows observed by Samantha.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best explanation for Samantha's results is that the Sun is lower in the sky later in the morning. As the Sun moves across the sky throughout the day, the angle of the sunlight changes, resulting in different shadow lengths. When the Sun is lower in the sky, the shadows are longer, as observed by Samantha's measurements. This is why her shadow length decreases as the morning progresses.