Question

when the sun is at a certain angle in the sky, a 50 - foot building will cast a 20 - foot shadow. what is the length of the shadow in feet cast by a 20 - foot pole at the same time? enter only the number. the solution is

Explanation:

Step1: Set up proportion

Let \( x \) be the length of the shadow of the 20 - foot pole. Since the ratio of object height to shadow length is constant, we have \(\frac{50}{20}=\frac{20}{x}\).

Step2: Cross - multiply

Cross - multiplying gives \(50x = 20\times20\).

Step3: Solve for \(x\)

\(50x=400\), then \(x=\frac{400}{50}=8\).

Answer:

8