Sarah is standing next to the flag pole waiting for her friends. The flagpole is 42.9 feet tall and casting a shadow of 253.1 feet long. There a sign by the flagpole challenging visitors to find the length of their shadows. Sarah is 5.4 feet tall. What is the length of Sarah’s shadow?
31.86
Solve this proportion.
42.9/253.1 = 5.4/x
To find the length of Sarah's shadow, we can set up a proportion.
We know that the height of the flagpole (42.9 feet) is to the length of its shadow (253.1 feet) as Sarah's height (5.4 feet) is to the length of her shadow (x feet).
This can be written as a proportion:
42.9 feet / 253.1 feet = 5.4 feet / x feet
To solve for x, we can cross-multiply and then divide:
42.9 feet * x feet = 253.1 feet * 5.4 feet
Now, divide both sides by 42.9 feet to isolate x:
x feet = (253.1 feet * 5.4 feet) / 42.9 feet
x feet = 1,363.74 feet / 42.9 feet
x feet = 31.8 feet
Therefore, the length of Sarah's shadow is approximately 31.8 feet.