Dru is challenged by her geometry teacher to estimate the height of the school flag pole without measuring. She decided to walk off the length of the shadow cast by the pole by successively walking the noted length of her own shadow. If Dru is 5 ft 6 in. tall and she estimates the flagpole shadow is 14 times as long as her own shadow, then what is the approximate height of the flag pole?

Question

anonymous · Answer

5 ft. 6in. X 14 = 77 ft.

anonymous · Answer

5ft 6 inchX14 is 924 inches though so the shadow of the flagpole is 924 inches right?

anonymous · Answer

What I don't understand is how do you find the height of the flagpole from the shadow of it?

jkristia · Answer

The 'noted' length, isn't that the length of her shadow?

anonymous · Answer

Yea nvm I understand now

jkristia · Answer

oh - doesn't matter, she is 5ft 6in tall and the flagpole is 14 times taller

anonymous · Answer

It's easier to set it up like this:

5 ft. 6 in.
x     14
__________
70 ft.   84 in. = 70 ft. + 7 ft. = 77 ft.

anonymous · Answer

See?  that way you don;t have to deal with large numbers, and it's much faster - no calculator required.

anonymous · Answer

Yea i got it thanks everyone