Question

A building casts a shadow that is 50 feet in length. If the distance from the end of the shadow to the top of the building is 250 feet, what is the height of the building?

250 ft

50 ft

Answer 1

Answer: 244.95 feet

Explanation:

This scenario forms the shape of a right angled triangle with the shadow length being the triangle's length and the distance between the end of the shadow to the top of the building being the hypotenuse.

Use Pythagorean theorem:

c² = a² + b²

250² = 50² + b²

62,500 = 2,500 + b²

b²= 62,500 - 2,500

b² = 60,000

b = √60,000

b= 244.95 feet