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Question Joseph is 1.75 meters tall. At \( 11 \mathrm{a} . \mathrm{m} \). ., he measures the length of a tree's shadow to be 34.05 meters. He stands 29.7 meters away from the tree, so that the tip of his shadow meets the tip of the tree's shadow. Find the height of the tree to the nearest hundredth of a meter.

Ask by Colon Mullins. in the United States
Jan 18,2025

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Tutor-Verified Answer

Answer

The tree is approximately 13.70 meters tall.

Solution

To determine the height of the tree, we'll use the principle of similar triangles. Here's a step-by-step breakdown: 1. **Understanding the Scenario:** - **Joseph's Height:** 1.75 meters. - **Tree's Shadow Length:** 34.05 meters. - **Distance from Tree to Joseph:** 29.7 meters. - **Condition:** The tip of Joseph's shadow meets the tip of the tree's shadow. 2. **Visualizing the Setup:** - The tree casts a shadow of 34.05 meters. - Joseph stands 29.7 meters away from the tree along the direction of the shadow. - This means Joseph's shadow extends \( 34.05 \, \text{m} - 29.7 \, \text{m} = 4.35 \, \text{m} \). 3. **Applying Similar Triangles:** - The ratio of the height of the tree to its shadow is the same as the ratio of Joseph's height to his shadow. \[ \frac{\text{Height of Tree}}{\text{Shadow of Tree}} = \frac{\text{Height of Joseph}}{\text{Shadow of Joseph}} \] \[ \frac{H}{34.05} = \frac{1.75}{4.35} \] 4. **Solving for the Height of the Tree (\( H \)):** \[ H = \frac{34.05 \times 1.75}{4.35} \] \[ H \approx \frac{59.5875}{4.35} \approx 13.70 \, \text{meters} \] **Final Answer:** The height of the tree is **13.70 meters**.

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To find the height of the tree using similar triangles, we can set up a proportion. The height of Joseph (1.75 meters) and the length of his shadow (the distance he stands away from the tree, 29.7 meters) forms a triangle similar to the triangle formed by the height of the tree (let's call it \( h \)) and the length of the tree's shadow (34.05 meters). Using the proportion, we have: \[ \frac{h}{34.05} = \frac{1.75}{29.7} \] Cross-multiplying gives: \[ h \cdot 29.7 = 1.75 \cdot 34.05 \] Calculating the right side: \[ 1.75 \cdot 34.05 = 59.8125 \] Now, solving for \( h \): \[ h = \frac{59.8125}{29.7} \approx 2.01 \] Thus, the height of the tree is approximately **2.01 meters**. Pro Tip: Whenever you're working with shadow lengths and heights, using similar triangles can make the math much easier – it's like magic, except it's geometry! Just remember to set up your ratios correctly.

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