An adult giraffe that is 17.8 ft tall casts a

shadow that is 65.9 ft long. Find the
height of a baby elephant that casts a 11.8
ft shadow.

Cross multiply and solve for x.

17.8 / 65.9 = x / 11.8

To find the height of the baby elephant, we can use the concept of similar triangles. The ratio of the height of the giraffe to the length of its shadow should be equal to the ratio of the height of the baby elephant to the length of its shadow.

Let's set up the proportion:

Height of Giraffe / Length of Giraffe's Shadow = Height of Elephant / Length of Elephant's Shadow

Substituting the given values:

17.8 ft / 65.9 ft = Height of Elephant / 11.8 ft

Now, we can solve for the height of the elephant.

Cross-multiplying:

(17.8 ft) * (11.8 ft) = Height of Elephant * (65.9 ft)

(17.8 ft * 11.8 ft) / 65.9 ft = Height of Elephant

197.24 ft² / 65.9 ft = Height of Elephant

Approximately: 2.99 ft

Therefore, the height of the baby elephant is approximately 2.99 ft.