The Washington Monument is the tallest structure in Washington D.C. At the same time the monument casts a shadow that is about 500 feet long, a 40 foot flagpole nearby casts a shadow that is about 36 feet long. Make a sketch. Find the approximate height of the monument.

x/500 = 40/36

36x = 20,000

x = 20,000 / 36

x = 555.6

The Washington Monument is about 556 feet tall.

Still don't understand :/ help please.

@ms.sue U HAVED SAVED ME THANK YOU

Use a proportion. Cross multiply and solve for x.

x/500 = 40/36

THIS IS SO HELPFUL THANK THE LORDSS

To find the approximate height of the Washington Monument, we can use the concept of similar triangles and proportions. Let's start by drawing a sketch to better understand the situation.

[Sketch of the Washington Monument, flagpole, and their respective shadows.]

In the sketch, we have the Washington Monument, represented as a tall vertical line, and a nearby flagpole, represented as a shorter vertical line. We've also indicated the shadows cast by each object.

Now, let's label some of the measurements we have:

- The length of the shadow cast by the Washington Monument is approximately 500 feet.
- The length of the shadow cast by the flagpole is approximately 36 feet.
- We need to find the height of the Washington Monument, labeled as 'h'.

Using the concept of similar triangles, we know that the ratio of corresponding sides in similar triangles is equal. In this case, we can set up a proportion using the lengths of the shadows and the heights of the objects:

(height of the Washington Monument) / (length of its shadow) = (height of the flagpole) / (length of its shadow)

Or, in equation form:

h / 500 = 40 / 36

To find the height of the Washington Monument, we can cross-multiply and solve for 'h':

h = (500 * 40) / 36

Calculating this gives us:

h ≈ 555.56 feet

Therefore, the approximate height of the Washington Monument is approximately 555.56 feet.