A 4 foot tall fence post casts a shadow 6 foot long. A Silo next to the posts casts a shadow 111 foot long. How tall is the Silo?
4/6 = x/111 444 = 6x 74 = x
(4/6)=(x/111) solve for x x=74 The silo is 74 feet tall.
You are trying to find the angle of the sun to cast those shadows first, then use that to find the shadow. For the fence: tan(x)=opp/adj tan(x)=4/6 x=33.690 For the silo: tan(33.690)=h/111 height of the silo=74 feet An even easier way is to make a comparison. 4/6=h/111 Solve for h and you get 74.
Set up an equation using the ratios of height to shadow length: 4 / 6 = x / 111 [the height to shadow length ratio is equal] Cross-multiply: 444 = 6x Divide both sides by 6: x = 444 / 6 = 74 The silo is 74 feet high.
The length of the shadow is proportional to the height of the post. 4/6 = ?/111 so the answer is 222/3=74 ft
