A tree casts a shadow that measures 5 m. At the same time, a meter stick casts a shadow that is 0.4 m long. How tall is the tree?
We could set up a proportion and cross multiply. Let x = height of tree.
5 / x = 0.4 / 1
12.5
To find the height of the tree, we can use the concept of similar triangles. Let's set up the proportion between the tree and its shadow, and the meter stick and its shadow:
Height of the tree / Length of the tree's shadow = Height of the meter stick / Length of the meter stick's shadow
Let's plug in the given values:
Height of the tree / 5 m = 1 m / 0.4 m
To find the height of the tree, we can simply rearrange the equation:
Height of the tree = (Height of the meter stick / Length of the meter stick's shadow) * Length of the tree's shadow
Height of the tree = (1 m / 0.4 m) * 5 m
Now we can calculate the height of the tree using this equation.