A tree is 56 feet tall and casts a 38 foot shadow. A person standing next to the tree is 5 feet tall. How long is their shadow?
We can use a proportion to solve this problem.
Let x be the length of the person's shadow.
We can set up the proportion:
(Length of tree's shadow)/(Height of tree) = (Length of person's shadow)/(Height of person)
38/56 = x/5
Cross multiplying, we get:
56x = 38 * 5
56x = 190
Dividing both sides by 56, we find:
x = 190/56 ≈ <<190/56=3.39>>3.39.
Therefore, the person's shadow is approximately 3.39 feet long.