camera is 4 ft 6 inched off the ground 18 feet away from a silo, how tall is the silo
To determine the height of the silo, we can use similar triangles and the concept of proportionality. Here's how you can calculate it:
1. First, let's visualize the scenario. Draw a diagram that represents the situation. Draw a vertical line to represent the silo and a horizontal line to represent the ground. Mark the location of the camera on the ground, which is 18 feet away from the silo. Label it as point A. Also, mark the camera's height off the ground, which is 4 feet 6 inches. Label it as point B.
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B | \
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______|______\_______
| A
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2. Now, we have two similar triangles in the diagram: triangle ABC and triangle ADE.
- Triangle ABC represents the real-life situation, where the lengths are in feet.
- Triangle ADE represents a scaled version of triangle ABC, where the lengths are in inches (since we have inches in the given height).
3. Using the concept of proportionality, we can set up the following ratio:
AB (in feet) / AD (in inches) = BC (in feet) / DE (in inches)
AB = 18 feet (the given distance from the camera to the silo)
BC = unknown (the height of the silo)
AD = 4 feet + 6 inches = 4.5 feet (the given height of the camera off the ground)
DE = 12 inches (since the ratio is in inches)
4. Plug in the values into the proportion:
18 feet / 4.5 feet = BC / 12 inches
5. Solve for BC by cross-multiplication:
BC = (18 feet * 12 inches) / 4.5 feet
6. Simplify the units:
BC = 48 inches
7. Convert inches to feet:
BC = 48 inches / 12 inches per foot
BC = 4 feet
Therefore, the height of the silo is 4 feet.