The light from a lamp casts a shadow of a man standing 10 feet away from the lamppost. The shadow is 7 feet long. The angle of elevation from the tip of the shadow to the lamp is 50 degrees. To the nearest foot, the lamppost is ____ feet tall.

17 tan(50)=20.25981107 or 20.26

I am confused when it says round to the nearest foot is the answer 20.26 or 20 or 21 what would you put as the answer?

Question

The light from a lamp casts a shadow of a man standing 10 feet away from the lamppost. The shadow is 7 feet long. The angle of elevation from the tip of the shadow to the lamp is 50 degrees. To the nearest foot, the lamppost is ____ feet tall.

17 tan(50)=20.25981107 or 20.26

I am confused when it says round to the nearest foot is the answer 20.26 or 20 or 21 what would you put as the answer?

anonymous · Answer

you only round up if the end number is 5 or up. so in this case you round down to just 20. Since 20 is closer to 20.26 than 21

kj4uts · Answer

So based on the "to the nearest foot" it would be 20 is that because 21 would make it taller than it is? 

Also if it is saying "to the nearest foot" 20.26 would not be the answer so then 20 it is?

anonymous · Answer

what number is number is more closer to 20.26. 20 or 21?

anonymous · Answer

if it was 20.5 then you would round it up to 21 because 21 is closer