Question

A tree casts a shadow 40 m long. At the same time, the shadow cast by a 64-cm tall statue is 78 cm long. The tree is _____ meters in height.

Answer 1

Do you know how to set up proportions?

Answer 2

Not really, I mean I'm stuck on it. Could you solve it and I'll see how you did it?

Answer 3

Well I don't have paper at the moment. Give me a minute and I'll try it out. Would like to learn how to set them up? After I solve it, I could teach you.

Answer 4

That would be great, thank you. I also have two more questions I'm stuck on.

Answer 5

Okay so the answer to the first problem is 0.03 meters or 3,282.05 centimeters. The way you set a proportion up for this type of problem is simple. Take the shadow of the first object and put it over a variable- the variable represents the unknown height. Then take the shadow of the second object and put it over the height of the second object. But before you go farther you need to change the 40 meters to centimeters, because the rest of the problem is in centimeters. So 40 meters becomes 4,000 centimeters. The proportion stays the same though. Then cross multiply the 4,000 centimeters by the 64cm height of the second object. and do the same with the"x" and the Shadow of the second object. You'll end up getting 256,000=78x so just dvide 256,00 by 78 and you'll get 3,2852.05 centimeters. so to transfer that to meters you can use the internet and I got 0.03 meters. (That might be wrong Im not sure if i typed something wrong). so thats how to set up a proportion to find missing sides or heights.

Answer 6

I can't answer the other two questions. sorry. I completly forget how to do that.

Answer 7

It just wants me to round to the nearest whole number. So I'd put 40?

Answer 8

*0.03

Answer 9

hmm well, if you wanted, you could leave it in centimeters. Im not sure what your teacher wants. and 0.03 isn't a whole number.

Answer 10

The problem says meters so I'm not sure this is what she wants.

Answer 11

okay. I would ask what some people in your class got. Thats what I normally do if I'm really stuck on a question. If all else fails, you can try and talk to her before class and see how to do the problem.