Question

A local lighthouse is 173.75 feet tall. During a visit to the lighthouse, Tammy, who is 5 feet tall, cast a shadow that was 1.8 feet long.

How long, in feet, was the shadow that the lighthouse cast?


feet

Answer 1

62.55 ft

Step-by-step explanation:

Think of this as a similar triangles problem. The 173.75 ft leg of the lighthouse is similar to the 5 ft leg of the person.

The unknown length of the lighthouse shadow, x, is similar to the 1.8 ft length of the person's shadow.

Set up the proportions and solve for x:

173.75/5 = x/1.8

5x = (173.75)(1.8)

x = 312.75/5 = 62.55 ft

Answer 2

The length of the shadow that the lighthouse cast is 62.55 feet.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the length of the shadow cast by the lighthouse, we can set up a proportion using the height of Tammy and the length of her shadow:

Tammy's height / Tammy's shadow = Lighthouse height / Lighthouse shadow

Substituting in the known values:

5 feet / 1.8 feet = 173.75 feet / Lighthouse shadow

Solving for Lighthouse shadow:

Lighthouse shadow = (173.75 feet * 1.8 feet) / 5 feet = 62.55 feet.

Therefore, the length of the shadow that the lighthouse cast is 62.55 feet.