Question

a shadow 32 meters long is cast by a cell phone tower that is 60 meters tall. if a nearby redwood tree is 15 meters tall, then how long will the redwood tree’s shadow be? write your answer as a whole number or a decimal. do not round. meters

Explanation:

Step1: Set up proportion

Let \( x \) be the length of the redwood tree's shadow. The ratio of height to shadow length should be equal for the tower and the tree, so \(\frac{60}{32}=\frac{15}{x}\).

Step2: Cross - multiply and solve

Cross - multiplying gives \( 60x = 32\times15 \). Calculate \( 32\times15 = 480 \), so \( 60x = 480 \). Then divide both sides by 60: \( x=\frac{480}{60}=8 \).

Answer:

8