Your friend is trying to calculate the height of a nearby oak tree. You tell him that you learned how to use similar triangles in Geometry class. You tell your friend to measure his height (75 inches) and you measure the length of his shadow (48 inches). Both of you measure the length of the tree’s shadow (38 feet). How tall is the tree (in feet)? Round to the nearest hundredth.

THIS MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE TO ME!

Question

Your friend is trying to calculate the height of a nearby oak tree. You tell him that you learned how to use similar triangles in Geometry class. You tell your friend to measure his height (75 inches) and you measure the length of his shadow (48 inches). Both of you measure the length of the tree’s shadow (38 feet). How tall is the tree (in feet)? Round to the nearest hundredth. 

THIS MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE TO ME!

anonymous · Answer

OK, so this is how it's done, 

The triangle made by your friend will be the similar to the triangle made by the tree (but bigger) 
Agree?

anonymous · Answer

Yeah, that makes sense..

anonymous · Answer

So, 

Convert it all to feet. 
You find the ratio of the shadow's of the tree and friend.

anonymous · Answer

multiply the ratio by the height of your friend in feet.

anonymous · Answer

That should be your answer.

anonymous · Answer

so the answer might be like 59.375in right?

anonymous · Answer

I don't know, I haven't done the calculations. That's your job :D

anonymous · Answer

k i show the work

anonymous · Answer

|dw:1329355902473:dw|