Question

a fir tree is 16 meters tall. its shadow is 30 meters long. close by, there is a radio tower that is 32 meters tall. how long is the radio towers shadow? write your answer as a whole number or a decimal. do not round. meters

Explanation:

Step1: Set up proportion

Since the height and shadow length are proportional, $\frac{\text{Tree height}}{\text{Tree shadow}}=\frac{\text{Tower height}}{\text{Tower shadow}}$. Let $x$ be the tower's shadow length. So $\frac{16}{30}=\frac{32}{x}$.

Step2: Cross - multiply

$16x = 30\times32$.

Step3: Solve for $x$

$x=\frac{30\times32}{16}$. Simplify $\frac{32}{16}=2$, then $x = 30\times2$.

Answer:

60