Question

The light from a lamp casts a shadow of a man standing 15 feet away from the lamppost. The shadow is 5 feet long. The angle of elevation from the tip of the shadow to the lamp is 50 degrees. To the nearest foot, how tall is the lamppost?

Answer 1

To the nearest foot it is about 24 feet

Answer 2

Height of lamppost = 23.835 ft (Approx)

Explanation:

Given:

Man's distance from lamppost = 15 ft

Shadow length = 5 ft

Angle of elevation = 50°

Find:

Height of lamppost

Computation:

Using trigonometry application.

Total base length = 15 ft + 5 ft

Total base length = 20 ft

Tan 50° = Height of lamppost / Total base length

1.19175359 = Height of lamppost / 20

Height of lamppost = 23.835 ft (Approx)