Bill sees that the shadow of a flag pole is about four times as long as his shadow. If Bill if about 5 1/2 feet tall, about how tall is the flag pole?

4 * 5 1/2 = ?

4*5 1/2=22

To determine the height of the flag pole, we can use the concept of ratios.

First, let's define the length of Bill's shadow as x. According to the information given, the length of the flag pole's shadow is four times the length of Bill's shadow. Therefore, the length of the flag pole's shadow is 4x.

Now, since the height of Bill is 5 1/2 feet, we need to determine the ratio between his height and his shadow. The ratio is calculated by dividing the height by the length of the shadow: 5.5 / x.

Similarly, we can find the ratio between the height of the flag pole and its shadow, which is the same as Bill's shadow, 4x. Therefore, the ratio for the flag pole is h / 4x.

Since both ratios (5.5 / x and h / 4x) are equal, we can set up an equation:

5.5 / x = h / 4x

To solve for the height of the flag pole (h), we need to isolate it in the equation. Let's cross-multiply:

5.5 * 4x = h * x

22x = hx

Now, divide both sides of the equation by x:

22 = h

Hence, the height of the flag pole is 22 feet.