Question

if a wooden column is 9 meters tall and casts a shadow 12 meters long, then how long of a shadow will be cast by a nearby flagpole that is 12 meters tall? write your answer as a whole number or a decimal. do not round. meters

Explanation:

Step1: Set up the proportion

Since the height and shadow length are proportional, we have \(\frac{\text{height of column}}{\text{shadow of column}}=\frac{\text{height of flagpole}}{\text{shadow of flagpole}}\). Let \(x\) be the shadow length of the flagpole. So \(\frac{9}{12}=\frac{12}{x}\).

Step2: Cross - multiply

Cross - multiplying gives \(9x = 12\times12\).

Step3: Solve for \(x\)

First, calculate \(12\times12 = 144\). Then \(x=\frac{144}{9}\).

Answer:

\(16\)