A man 6 feet tall is standing 4 feet away from a 20 foot lamppost. How long is the lampposts shadow?
s/6 = (s+4)/20
To find the length of the lamppost's shadow, we can use similar triangles and apply the concept of proportions.
Let's label the length of the shadow as 'x'. We can construct the following proportion:
(height of the man) / (distance of the man from the base of the lamppost) = (length of the lamppost's shadow) / (distance of the shadow from the base of the lamppost)
Given information:
Height of the man = 6 feet
Distance of the man from the base of the lamppost = 4 feet
Using the proportion, we have:
6 feet / 4 feet = x / 20 feet
We can now solve for 'x' by cross-multiplying:
6 feet * 20 feet = 4 feet * x
120 feet = 4 feet * x
To get the value of 'x', we divide both sides of the equation by 4 feet:
x = 120 feet / 4 feet
x = 30 feet
Therefore, the length of the lamppost's shadow is 30 feet.