Question

a redwood tree is 60 meters tall and its shadow is 32 meters long. a nearby oak tree is 15 meters tall. how long is the oak trees shadow? write your answer as a whole number or a decimal. do not round. meters

Explanation:

Step1: Set up the proportion

Since the height of the tree and the length of its shadow are in proportion, we have $\frac{\text{height of redwood tree}}{\text{length of redwood tree's shadow}}=\frac{\text{height of oak tree}}{\text{length of oak tree's shadow}}$. Let $x$ be the length of the oak tree's shadow. So, $\frac{60}{32}=\frac{15}{x}$.

Step2: Cross - multiply

Cross - multiplying gives $60x = 15\times32$.

Step3: Solve for $x$

First, calculate $15\times32 = 480$. Then, $x=\frac{480}{60}$.

Step4: Simplify

$\frac{480}{60}=8$.

Answer:

$8$