Question

A flag pole casts a shadow that’s 5 feet. A rope attached to the flag is 13 feet long . How tall is the flag poll

Answer 1

Answer: 12 feet

Step-by-step explanation:

I'm assuming the rope is fully taut and connects the top of the flag pole with the tip of the shadow.

Draw a right triangle that has a horizontal leg of 5 feet and a hypotenuse of 13 feet. I'll call these a = 5 and c = 13.

Use the pythagorean theorem to find b

`a^2 + b^2 = c^2\\\\5^2 + b^2 = 13^2\\\\25 + b^2 = 169\\\\b^2 = 169-25\\\\b^2 = 144\\\\b = √(144)\\\\b = 12`

The vertical leg of the right triangle is 12 feet, which is the height of the flag pole. We have a 5-12-13 right triangle.