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Elijah is 1.2 meters tall. His shadow at noon is 2.5 meters long. At the same time the shadow of a nearby tree is 7.8 meters long. Find the height of the tree. Round your answer to the tenth if necessary.

User Kane Chew
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1 Answer

6 votes

Final answer:

The height of the tree is calculated using the principle of similar triangles and is found to be 3.744 meters, which can be rounded to 3.7 meters.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the height of the tree using the lengths of shadows and a known height, we can use the principle of similar triangles. Given that Elijah is 1.2 meters tall and his shadow is 2.5 meters long, we can set up a proportion using the shadow of the tree, which is 7.8 meters long.

The ratio of Elijah's height to his shadow length is equal to the ratio of the tree's height to the tree's shadow length. This is represented by the equation:

Height of Elijah / Shadow of Elijah = Height of Tree / Shadow of Tree

1.2 m / 2.5 m = Height of Tree / 7.8 m

Now, solve for the Height of Tree:

Height of Tree = (1.2 m / 2.5 m) * 7.8 m

Height of Tree = 3.744 meters

After solving, we find that the height of the tree is 3.744 meters. If rounding is necessary, the height of the tree rounded to the tenth is 3.7 meters.

User Techwolf
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