Indirect Measurement

Question

A 12-foot tall tree casts a 6 foot shadow. A flagpole 9 feet tall also casts a shadow. How long is the shadow cast by the flagpole?

Answer 1

Use a proportion.

6/12 = x/9

On both sides of the equation, the length of the shadow is in the numerator, while the height of the object is in the denominator. The value of x represents the length of the flagpole's shadow.