If a 9-foot tall adult elephant casts an 18-foot shadow, how long is the shadow of the 6-foot zookeeper? Use a proportion to set up and solve an equation. Round your answer to the nearest tenth of a foot if necessary.

9/18 = 6/x

9x = 108

x = 12

To determine the length of the shadow of the 6-foot zookeeper, we can set up a proportion using the information given. We'll compare the height of the elephant to the length of its shadow and then use the proportion to find the length of the zookeeper's shadow.

Let H represent the height of the elephant and S represent the length of its shadow.
We are given that the elephant's height, H, is 9 feet and its shadow, S, is 18 feet.

So we have the proportion:
H/S = 9/18

Now, we can use this same proportion to find the length of the zookeeper's shadow.
Let x represent the length of the zookeeper's shadow. Since the zookeeper is 6 feet tall, we have H = 6.

Substituting H = 6 and rearranging the proportion, we get:
6/x = 9/18

To solve for x, we can cross-multiply:
9x = 6 * 18
9x = 108
x = 108/9
x ≈ 12

Therefore, the shadow of the 6-foot zookeeper is approximately 12 feet long when the 9-foot tall elephant casts an 18-foot shadow.